Akatsuki no Yona - a modern twist
by etiatu
Summary: What happens when the Happy Hungry Bunch embark on a game of Truth or Dare? Will embarrassing secrets unfold? Will hidden feelings finally be revealed? (In case you're wondering, I compiled a list of T/Ds from the Net and ran it through a randomiser, so the results were not decided by me. Enjoy! xD)
1. Chapter 1

It was late in the afternoon, and the Happy Hungry Bunch decided to break the monotony with a game of Truth or Dare.

Yoon had bought the slips from a foreign merchant, who had explained the rules to them.

"So we're supposed to take it in turns?" asked Hak, as they settled down near a small stream.

"Yes. Every time it's someone's turn, they will have to pick a slip which either contains a Truth question or a Dare that they have to carry out."

The order was decided by a clockwise motion. Yoon began first.

Yoon - What do you like the most in a girl or a boy?

"Their appreciation of my beauty," declared the handsome genius without hesitation.

"How refreshingly upfront," remarked Jae Ha breezily.

Kija - If you are given a chance to kiss a person in this room, who would you choose?

Kija blushed so hard his face resembled a cherry.

"W-what sort of brazen question is this?"

"Come on, Kija, You can be honest with us," said Jae Ha with a sly grin. "Although we know the answer already."

Kija was unyielding.

"I refuse to answer this ridiculous question!" he said, in a somewhat panicked voice.

"Refusal would equate to forfeit, which means you'll have to kiss a guy," pointed out Hak ruthlessly.

"That's right. Make your choice, White Snake," grinned Jae Ha. He was clearly enjoying Kija's discomfiture.

Kija looked on the brink of imploding. "Is this what you people call your idea of fun?"

"Come on, Kija. You don't have to say why," pressed Yoon. "Just be out with it. It'll be over in a sec."

It seemed like an eternal had passed before Kija finally blurted it.

"Y… Yona…"

The Princess flushed. "Oh my!" she said, taken aback.

The others glanced at Hak. The Thunder Beast's face was black as a thunderstorm.

"Well, I'm flattered to hear that, Kija," smiled the Princess. "Guess it's my turn now!"

Yona – Yell at the top of your lungs for ten seconds.

"Oh! Miss has received the first dare!" said Zeno excitedly.

"I was eyeing that one," fretted Yoon wistfully.

Hak grinned. "The Princess screaming her head off? Now this I have to see."

"Go on, Miss! Take a deep breath."

Yona sucked air into her lungs until her face resembled a pufferfish. And then she was screaming like she'd never screamed before. Yoon was convinced that even the inhabitants of Hiryruu Castle could hear her.

"Nice one!" said Jae Ha appreciatively, when she'd finished. "You've got a strong pair of lungs, Yona."

"That felt great," sighed the Princess. "I feel like a huge load has been lifted off my shoulders."

Jae Ha rubbed his hands in anticipation. "And I'm up next!"

Jae Ha - Say "in bed" after every sentence for the rest of the game.

Jae Ha grinned devilishly. "Whoa, snap! This is a real treat." His grin deepened ominously. "In bed."

"Right," said Yoon wearily. "I don't think this dare could have suited anyone better."

"Alright everyone, let's give Jae Ha the cold shoulder for the rest of the game," announced Hak airily.

"That's mean, Hak!" pouted Jae Ha, and then changing his tone into a seductive one, "… in bed."

But Hak pointedly ignored him.

Hak - Who was your first crush?

There was an extremely long pause.

Jae Ha whistled. "The heavens are on your side, Thunder Beast. This is finally your chance to declare your eternal love for –"

Hak's elbow flattened his face, rendering the rest of his sentence almost unintelligible.

"– in bed," finished Jae Ha muffledly. Hak straightened up, and the Green Dragon raised his head, wincing.

"That hurt, Hak!... In bed."

Yona's spine was straight, the very image of attentiveness. Zeno said jovially, "You seem to be curious about this, Miss."

Yona nodded. After all, although Hak was her childhood friend, she knew next to nothing about his love life. _If_ he even had one.

Hak shot the Princess a sidelong glance.

"My first crush," he drawled, "was a cumbersome brat."

Yona frowned.

"Who?" she asked. She had never seen Hak mingling with female acquaintances in the palace. It had to be someone from his village.

Hak surveyed her for a long while. The others watched them, their breaths held.

Then Hak swivelled round to face Zeno.

"OK, Yellow Dragon. It's your turn."

"What?" pouted Yona. "Come on, Hak! Tell us. Who was your first crush?"

"Precisely! An improper answer is as good as a forfeit!" egged on Kija.

"I _have_ told you," was Hak's curt reply. "That question was pretty generic."

Yona and the four Dragons were immensely disappointed, but they let the subject drop.

Zeno - What is the meanest thing you have ever done?

Zeno's squinched his face as he struggled to recall. Then his face brightened. "Oh! That's easy. There was a time when I fed earthworm broth to an old man who had a fever –"

"Earthworm broth?" Kija literally jerked back as though he, too, had been offered a bowl of earthworm broth. "That's lunacy!"

"I think this penalty is having more of an impact on Kija," remarked Yoon. For the White Dragon's sake, the group quickly moved on.

Shin Ah - Who is the sexiest girl in the group?

A few jaws dropped. Trust the Blue Dragon's luck to have him be smacked with such a brutal question!

Fortunately, a certain little critter saved the day – Ao scampered onto his shoulder and struck a pose, squeaking confidently.

"Ao?" said Shin Ah, puzzled.

"Ao?" repeated everyone else.

Ao nodded coquettishly. Jae Ha clapped his hands together.

"Certainly! Ao wins hands down, no doubt about it," he said, with a rather forced laugh. "And with that we're back to Yoon! In bed."

And although no one could see it, Shin Ah was immensely relieved.

Yoon - What is something you want to buy, but can't?

Apparently, this was a very passionate subject for the young genius.

"First of all, I'd buy every cooking equipment I can get my hands on. And then I'd buy huge plots of lands to grow every sort of herb imagineable and get a big palace for all of us to live in and –"

"The question said something, not some _things_ ," cut in Hak.

"Hmph." Yoon looked disgruntled.

"But it was interesting to hear," beamed Yona heartily.

Kija looked apprehensive as his turn came again.

Kija - Say "in bed" after every sentence for the rest of the game

Kija buried his face in his hands as Jae Ha leaned over and slapped him companionably on the back.

"Well, my brother, it seems we share a common camaraderie," he guffawed. "In bed."

Kija simply moaned agonisingly.

"You're not going to say anything, are you, White Dragon?" said Yoon, eyeing the pitiful Kija with some sympathy.

"It's no big deal, White Snake. This is just a game after all," said Hak matter-of-factly. At that, Kija shot him a poisonous glare. "Well, if you don't like it that much, just kiss Shin Ah and be done with it."

 _Why Shin Ah?_ wondered the others. The Blue Dragon jerked up at Hak's comment, no doubt startled. Kija shook his head feverishly, looking even more mortified.

"It's alright, Kija. No one's forcing you to do it," said Yona, trying in vain to comfort him.

The White Dragon nodded disconsolately.

Yona - What did you want to become when you were a child?

The words "Soo Won's bride" floated into the Princess's mind, but she shook them away. This was no time to put her emotions in turmoil.

"A queen, of course," she said, with utter frankness. Everyone stared at her.

"Well, I _was_ a princess," she said defensively. "Children dream of silly stuff most of the time."

"Well put," said Jae Ha. "And you still are a princess, Yona. In bed."

"Not another word, Droopy Eyes," warned Hak.

Jae Ha – Jump into the nearest river with all your clothes on.

"Now that's just bothersome," said Yoon. "As if I haven't enough laundry to get done with."

"It's loads better than having to put my lips on a guy. In bed," said Jae Ha merrily. "Here goes nothing! _In bed!_ "

With a running leap, the Green Dragon plunged into the rushing currents.

When Jae Ha clambered back onto shore, he was soaked from head to foot. He grinned and struck one of his grand poses.

"Bravo," said Yoon dryly, clapping along with the rest.

As the Green Dragon went off to change into a dry set of clothes, the others resumed the game.

Hak - What does your dream boy or girl look like?

Jae Ha came rushing back to his spot just as Hak was reading out the question. The Thunder Beast's face became a tad more contorted as the meaning of the question sank in.

Jae Ha couldn't resist the situation. "My, my! It seems you can't evade the truth, Hak. Not even in bed."

"Be quiet, Droopy-Eyes!" snapped Hak. Why was he being hit with such ill-omened questions? "My dream girl would be one who has looks and personality. There, simple as that."

"No it isn't!" argued Kija. "Give us more details or you'll pay the price, Dark Dragon!"

The nerve on Hak's temple was twitching visibly. "If you've got a problem with it, White Snake, I'd be more than happy to settle this personally."

Yona gave a short laugh. "This side of you is rare to see, Hak."

Hak turned red as Yoon declared, "Thunder Beast, White Dragon – you both have to suffer the penalty. Thunder Beast's answer is inadequate, and White Dragon forgot to uphold his dare."

Hak looked ready to blow up. Kija covered his mouth, looking horrified.

"Yes! Suffer the penalty!" sang Zeno cheerfully.

"Oh, be quiet!" said Kija indignantly. He looked around the group. His eyes widened.

"If I have to kiss a guy, it will have to be Shin Ah," he said, and crossed over to land a smack on Shin Ah's mask.

"Ah!" cried Yoon in surprise. Yona's eyes resembled saucers. Jae Ha was convulsing with silent laughter. No wonder Hak had suggested kissing the Blue Dragon – his mask would prevent any lips from actually touching his face.

Hak seemed to have resigned himself. With every show of reluctance, he touched his lips to Shin Ah's mask with the barest amount of contact.

"There. Are you satisfied now?" demanded Kija, as Hak returned to his place looking like the devil had taken his soul.

Yoon tried to maintain a calm expression. "Alright. But from now on, if anyone wants to kiss Shin Ah, it will really have to be on his cheek."

"Oh come on, isn't that going a little too far?" said Yona.

Yoon shook his head. "Yona, there is a reason this game is called "Truth or Dare." A lightweight penalty would defeat the purpose of playing it."

"Why do I have the feeling you're enjoying this?" grinned Jae Ha. "In bed."

Zeno - Have you ever slapped someone? Why?

"Well," said Zeno thoughtfully, "there was one time when I had to wake a friend of mine. But he was a pretty heavy sleeper, so when shaking him didn't work –"

"You're amazing, Zeno," said Yoon with uncontained exasperation. "You manage to give unpredictable answers in a downright honest manner."

"Thanks!" said Zeno happily.

"It wasn't a compliment!"

"Shin Ah, you're up next," reminded Jae Ha.

Shin Ah - What is a question you don't want us to ask you and why?

The Blue Dragon's answer was soft. "I don't want you to ask me why I gave Ao her name, because it doesn't suit her."

There was a long silence.

"Why are Shin Ah's answers always somehow related to Ao?" sighed Yoon.

"Well, so long as he's honest," said Jae Ha. "In bed."

Yoon - Keep your eyes closed for the next three turns

"This game just keeps getting weirder and weirder," remarked Yoon, shutting his eyes with a sigh.

"You should be glad it wasn't anything worse," said Hak ominously.

Kija - What is something you want to buy, but can't?

"Yona's glory!" was his simple answer, followed by the whisper of "in bed". The others, who had been expecting something like this, looked unsurprised.

Yona beamed. "Thank you, Kija."

The White Dragon blushed furiously.

Yona - Lick the cheek of the person on your right.

Yoon's eyes flew open at once. The others could have sworn they heard Hak's vein snap. Kija looked as though his insides were about to explode - he was the very person sitting on the Princess's right.

"It seems the game has taken an unexpected turn," said Jae Ha, blinking. No one noticed that he had forgotten to carry out his dare – they were too busy staring at Yona.

The Princess was completely mortified.

"I – I forfeit," she whispered, as though confessing to a heinous crime.

The others' blank faces turned to those of complete consternation.

"Wait a minute, Yona!" spluttered Yoon. "The penalty is to let a guy kiss your neck! You can't allow that!"

Hak looked ready to commit bloody murder. Even Jae Ha was uneasy at his expression.

"Now, now, Hak," he said, hastily trying to appease him. "This is just a game – a game!"

"Yona, the Thunder Beast is about to go on a murderous rampage," said Yoon, staring at Hak warily. "You'd better do something quick."

Yona looked like she was about to lose it.

"I forfeit," she confirmed, blushing harder than a tomato.

There was a slight stir in the group. The word seemed to breathe a bit of life back into Kija; he straightened up, shaken out of his stupor. Hak looked tense.

"And… who do you choose?" asked Yoon tensely.

Yona was clearly bracing herself. "I… I choose…"

All heads were leaning towards her, their faces anxious…

"… I choose Hak."

Yoon didn't think anything could beat the expressions on their faces when Yona had read out her dare, but evidently he was wrong. Eyes were stretched to their widest, and jaws were dropped so low he was surprised they didn't hit the ground.

But in the end, nothing could beat Hak's expression.

A full minute passed before the Thunder Beast remembered himself.

"Well, it seems I have no choice," he said, as though resigning himself to a troublesome task. "Princess, if I may…"

He knelt before Yona. As if in tacit agreement, the others turned away.

"AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

The group jumped a mile. A boar had come charging out of nowhere towards Zeno, and the Yellow Dragon only just managed to save himself by catching hold of its tusks.

The furious boar swung its massive head to and fro as Zeno squealed, clinging on for dear life.

"Zeno!" gasped Yoon. Without any ado, Yona grabbed her bow and took aim at the frenzied beast.

 _Thwack._ Her arrow embedded itself in the beast's flank. With a squeal of rage, the beast sent Zeno flying with one furious swing and then took off at high speed.

"Zeno! Are you OK?"

The Yellow Dragon lay gasping on the ground. His eyes were enormous.

"I – I'm fine. Thank you, miss."

"I think we should call it a day," said Yoon tentatively.

The others wholeheartedly agreed.

(Weeelll, that's it for round one. I had tons of fun penning this one and I hope you enjoyed it as much as I have! Oh I'm open to suggestions as well, so if anyone has ideas for the next round please feel free to voice them out and I'll try my best to fit them in!^^)


	2. Chapter 2

"Due to the structure of the game, I have altered everyone's seating arrangements for the new round," announced Yoon.

Hak and Kija wound up next to each other, much to their displeasure.

"White Snake, don't even think of coming within three feet of me."

"That goes without saying," snapped Kija. "I have no intention of closing the distance between us."

Jae Ha noticed that Yona was seated beside the White Dragon. He grinned perceptively. "Of course," he said. "Kija wouldn't want to be deprived of intimacy with his young Master."

Kija blushed furiously. " _Intimacy?_ What are you suggesting?"

"On second thought, White Snake – I forbid you from being more than a foot away from me."

" _Huh?_ Why should I listen to you?!"

"Can we start now? Our last round was rudely interrupted by that rampaging beast," said Yoon impatiently.

"I must thank said beast. If it were not for its arrival, a calamitous event would have occurred," said Kija darkly, recalling Yona's near-penalty.

Yona blushed. Hak made a disgruntled sound.

"Well, Hak did a great job of hunting it down," said Jae Ha serenely. "It was quite a chase, wasn't it?"

"Let's begin," said Hak abruptly, cutting the Green Dragon off.

Kija – What is your most embarrassing fear?

"Well, that's no fun," disapproved Hak. "We all know the answer to that."

"Bugs," said Kija, looking relieved by the question.

"Bugs," nodded Jae Ha.

Yona - If you are given a chance to kiss a person in this room, who would you choose and why?

If the guys had ears, they would have perked straight up.

Yona reddened slightly. "Well… if I had to choose, I guess it would be Yoon..."

"Because he's the youngest," said Jae Ha knowingly.

''Y - yeah... " Yona nodded firmly, as though trying to convince herself.

Yoon looked embarrassed, but a little pleased. Hak and Kija shot him ominous looks.

"Hooray, it's Zeno's turn now!" declared Zeno happily, oblivious to the surrounding tension.

Zeno - If you had to go out with someone in this group, who would it be and why?

"Aw, jeez. This ain't fun," said Zeno in disappointed tones. "Of course it would be you, Miss. You're the only girl in this group after all."

"This question seems to have been made just for Yona," observed Yoon.

"Not quite, young 'un," said Jae Ha in sage tones. "If Hak here was the one who had received the question, for instance –"

"If you don't want an elbow in your ribs, I suggest you wrap it up, Droopy Eyes," warned Hak.

Yoon - If you are given a chance to kiss a person in this room, who would you choose and why?

"Another Y-question," said the self-proclaimed handsome genius. "Man, this game isn't moving forward at all. My answer would be Yona, of course – for obvious reasons."

Shin Ah - What type of life partner do you want to have?

No one knew how the Blue Dragon would get out of this one.

"I would want…" Shin Ah paused, and everyone leaned in closer to listen. "I would want someone who knows how to cook."

Jae Ha couldn't keep his lid on – he burst out in a fit of hysterics, hammering his thighs rapidly.

"Way to go, Shin Ah!" he gasped breathlessly. ''Someone who knows how to cook! Priceless!''

"But it's a good answer," said Yona sincerely.

"And given his history, it's actually not surprising," said Hak.

"If you've quite finished, there, Droopy Eyes, it's your turn to draw," reminded Yoon.

Jae Ha - Yell out the last word of every sentence you say for the rest of the game

"Well, what do you know! The first dare goes to… _ME!_ " declared Jae Ha cheerfully.

Hak groaned.

"Shin Ah, I would advise that you plug up your ears," advised Yoon, for Shin Ah happened to be sitting right next to Jae Ha.

The Blue Dragon cocked his head.

Hak - What do you like the most in a girl or a boy?

"It's indefinite, but the most ideal feature would be an intolerance to the slightest insults," he said casually.

Yona grimaced. "Well, I feel sorry for her already."

"Oh, really? Don't you mean that you feel sorry for yourself?"

"See what I mean? Bullying is in your bones, Hak!"

"It's not my fault if you're sensitive to trivial criticism, Princess."

"OK, OK. Enough flirting, guys," said Yoon exasperatedly. "Kija, you're up next."

Kija - What do you like to do in your free time?

The White Dragon took his question seriously.

"In my free time, I usually take walks and soak myself as part of my cleansing rites," he said. "Sometimes I take naps, too."

"You're so salubrious, Kija," said Yona, impressed. "Unlike a certain someone," she added, directing a small scowl at Hak.

"Now who's insulting who?" drawled Hak.

Yona - Fold your arms and frown your hardest for the next three turns

"Gosh, this sounds tiring," fretted the Princess.

"No, it isn't. You're doing it already," said Hak slyly.

"You jerk! I'm gonna sew that mouth of yours shut!"

"Calm down, Princess! You can't expect a boorish man to have refined manners," said Kija, scowling at Hak, who scowled back.

"Kija, Hak - you're not the ones who got the _DARE,_ " reminded Jae Ha, making everyone jump when he bellowed out the last word.

Zeno - Repeat everything every other player says for your next three turns of the game.

Zeno laughed. "This sounds like fun! OK, people, it's time to let those mouths run!"

Yoon - Who was your first crush?

"Hmph. I was too busy fighting poverty and looking after that tiresome priest to be occupied with trivial matters as love," said Yoon dismissively.

"Hmph. I was too busy fighting poverty and looking after that tiresome priest to be occupied with trivial matters as love," repeated Zeno jauntily.

Shin Ah - Sing instead of speaking for your next three rounds of the game.

"Oh, Shin Ah – of all the dares you could have _PICKED,_ " said Jae Ha sympathetically.

"Oh, Shin Ah – of all the dares you could have _PICKED,_ " echoed Zeno.

"This is starting to get on my nerves," muttered Hak.

Jae Ha - What is the thing you like the least on your face?

Jae Ha tossed back his braid elegantly. "Absolutely nothing. My entire being is made to _PERFECTION._ "

"Absolutely nothing. My entire being is made to _PERFECTION._ "

"Hence the droopy eyes," muttered Hak. Yona whacked him.

"Hence the droopy eyes," recited Zeno airily.

"At least someone's having fun," said Yoon dryly.

Hak - Who is the most beautiful person in this group and why?

Hak barely suppressed a groan. There was no getting out of this one - he would just have to get it over and done with.

"The most beautiful person," he said, "would be the Princess."

Yona raised an eyebrow. "Because I'm the only girl in this group," she said in a matter-of-fact tone.

"The most beautiful person would be the Princess. Because I'm the only girl in this group," said Zeno nonchalantly.

"That's a lie," said Kija at once. "You can't use that answer, Thunder Beast."

"That's a lie. You can't use that answer, Thunder Beast."

 _Man, I'm gonna kill him,_ glowered Hak, but outwardly, he maintained his cool. "Of course that's not it," he said with a grin. "It's because she really _is_ beautiful."

''Of course that's not it. It's because she really _is_ beautiful.''

Jae Ha sniggered. Kija looked disappointed.

Yona was flabbergasted. "It's unlike you to compliment me," she told her childhood friend.

"That's why the ladies love me," grinned Hak, and Yona's gratification dissolved.

''I take back my words. You're just as much of a bully as ever."

"It's unlike you to compliment me. That's why the ladies love me. I take back my words. You're just as much of a bully as ever," repeated Zeno idly.

Kija - Name an embarrassing situation that you've been through.

"The time I had to forfeit by kissing the Blue Dragon," he said. "No offense, Shin Ah."

Shin Ah shook his head; his way of saying, "None taken."

Yona - What does your dream boy or girl look like?

For some reason, Hak's face flitted through her mind. She glanced askance at her childhood friend. Was it her imagination, or did he seem to be watching her a little too closely?

"Appearance doesn't matter," she said finally. "It's what's on the inside that counts."

"Appearance doesn't matter. It's what's on the inside that counts," said Zeno brightly. "Well said, Miss!"

Hak drew back, looking disappointed. Jae Ha grinned. "Oh, don't look like that, _HAK,_ " he said jovially.

"Oh, don't look like that, _HAK._ "

Hak resolutely ignored them.

Zeno – Every time it's someone's turn, stand up and sit down quickly three times for three turns

 _And it had to go to someone who's simply bursting with energy_ , sighed Yoon inwardly, as Zeno gave an exuberant cheer.

Yoon - Jump into a river with all your clothes on.

Yoon buried his face in his hands as Zeno leapt up like a happy kangaroo.

"It's freezing!" protested the handsome genius. "I'll be sick for a week!"

"It's OK, Yoon. I'll have a towel ready for you," promised Yona.

"It's freezing! I'll be sick for a week!" said Zeno. "Don't worry, Yoon! I'll have a towel ready for you too!"

Ten minutes later, a dishevelled Yoon emerged from the tent in fresh clothes, still shivering slightly. As promised, Yona had handed him a fresh towel as soon as he'd climbed back onto dry land.

"I am _so_ not doing that again," swore Yoon to himself.

"I am _so_ not doing that again," beamed Zeno, holding out his own towel.

"What? Why didn't you give this to me before?!" snapped Yoon.

"What? Why didn't you give this to me before?! Because Miss already did, and I didn't want to break my promise," said Zeno earnestly.

"No thanks." Yoon stalked right past him.

"No thanks? Jeez, you're so mean!" protested Zeno, and he set down the towel before scurrying back to his place.

Shin Ah - Do 20 push-ups (200 if you're kija or jae ha)

Zeno leapt happily for the sky.

"That's a bummer. I was looking forward to hearing the Blue Dragon _SING,_ " said Jae Ha, looking crestfallen.

"That's a bummer. I was looking forward to hearing the Blue Dragon _SING._ "

"But Yoon, why did you scribble down something extra?" enquired Kija, as Shin Ah dropped to the ground on all fours and executed the dare with ease.

"Because the rest of us don't possess an extra-strong hand or leg, idiot," said Yoon irritably.

Meanwhile, Jae Ha was inching towards Shin Ah, his hand reaching out for the strap holding his mask to his face.

Immediately, Shin Ah leapt out of reach.

Jae Ha laughed and put up his hands. "Just kidding! You don't need to be so _FRIGHTENED._ "

"Jae Ha, stop bullying Shin Ah," Yona told him off.

"As the Princess commands," bowed the Green Dragon, flashing a wry smile.

"Just kidding! You don't need to be so _FRIGHTENED._ Jae Ha, stop bullying Shin Ah. As the Princess commands."

 _Hang on, me. Only two more turns,_ thought Hak to himself, rubbing his temples.

Jae Ha - What do you like to do in your free time?

Zeno sprang up as though his legs were on springs.

"Well," said Jae Ha thoughtfully, though an impish grin was lighting up his face at the same time, "I do like to engage in – "

"OK, PRINCESS, NO NEED TO HEAR ANY OF THAT," said Hak loudly, clapping his hands over Yona's ears and drowning out the rest of Jae Ha's speech.

"Well, I do like to engage in - OK, PRINCESS, NO NEED TO HEAR ANY OF THAT."

Jae Ha pouted strongly.

"That was rude, Hak. I'm sure Yona would have wanted to hear how I exercise my free _TIME._ "

"Drop dead."

''That was rude, Hak. I'm sure Yona would have wanted to hear how I exercise my my free _TIME._ Drop dead.''

Hak - If you are given a chance to kiss a person in this room, who would you choose and why?

"I called _IT!_ " exclaimed Jae Ha gleefully, as Zeno jumped toward the heavens and shouted almost immediately, "I called _IT!_ "

"I surrender myself to a forfeit," said Hak without preamble.

Jae Ha's arms collapsed. "Whaaat?" he said. "You can't be serious!"

"I surrender myself to a forfeit. Whaaat? You can't be serious!"

Yona tittered. "It's rare to see you out of your depth, Hak."

"It's rare to see you out of your depth, Hak."

Hak gritted his teeth as Kija smiled gloatingly. Then an idea hit him.

"Alright – allow me to deliver my forfeit," drawled Hak, promptly kissing three fingers and placing them briefly on Kija's cheek.

"URGH!" shrieked Kija, wiping the spot frantically. "YOU UNCOUTH MAN! THAT'S NOT A PROPER FORFEIT!"

"Why not? The rules didn't state that it has to be a direct kiss," shrugged Hak.

Yoon heaved a long-suffering sigh as Zeno repeated the respective dialogues.

"Enough with the loopholes already. Make it a direct kiss from now on or you'll be doing it twice and that's final!''

Kija - Lie on the lap of the person to your left for the rest of the game.

Everyone could practically hear Hak's vein snap.

Kija looked on the verge of suffocating.

" _This – what – how –_ " he gasped, turning redder by the second. Only Yona looked unperturbed. In fact, she beamed warmly.

"Come on, Kija. Don't worry about it. I don't mind one bit."

Kija practically swooned. Hak's eyes resembled an inferno. Yoon cast him a nervous look. Oblivious, Yona continued to smile welcomingly. Nobody noticed that Zeno hadn't fulfilled his dares – their entire attention was focussed on the scene.

Slowly, shakily, as though the effort alone was causing him agony, Kija inched towards the Princess. His face was an explosion of profuse crimson as he put his head on her lap.

"Come now, Hak. It's just a _GAME,_ " grinned Jae Ha, as sparks flew from the Thunder Beast's eyes.

Suddenly, Kija bolted upright.

"I - I forfeit!" he gasped, and planted the most fleeting of kisses on Yoon's cheek.

There was a stunned silence. Everyone looked flummoxed but for the handsome genius, whose eyes were wide with shock.

"I'm sorry, Princess," said Kija, visibly downcast. "It would be most improper of me to lay my head down on your gracious lap."

Yona blinked. Next moment, she gave a short laugh.

The White Dragon gave her a confused look.

"I understand,'' said the Princess, her eyes twinkling. Kija could be so cute sometimes.

"See, Hak? It pays to be _CIVIL,_ " grinned Jae Ha.

The Thunder Beast merely grimaced. That had been another close shave.

Yona - Who is your secret crush in this group?

Again, Hak's face hovered in her mind's eye.

"No one," she said, a little too quickly. Why did Hak's face keep popping up at times like this?

 _Well, that's interesting,_ thought Jae Ha to himself. Out loud, he said innocently, "Are you sure it's not a certain black-haired - ?"

WHAM! Hak's fist impacted the Green Dragon's face.

"Sorry about that. Please continue," said Hak casually, wiping his fist on his robes.

Zeno - Pretend to be the person on your left for the next three turns

"Gosh, I'm tired already," sighed Zeno. "Three dares are all I can take."

And poor Yoon was subjected to three more kisses on the cheek.

"ARGH! Why is everyone only kissing me?"

"It can't be helped, Yoon," laughed Yona affectionately. ''You're just too cute.''

"It's ruining my good looks!" groaned the poor young genius.

''It won't,'' assured Yona. ''Come on now - your turn to draw.''

Yoon - What do you like the most in a girl or a boy?

"Maturity," said Yoon bluntly. "I won't marry a girl who is more childish than I am."

''Basically every girl in Kouka, _THEN,_ '' said Jae Ha.

Shin Ah - Has anyone ever tried to seduce you seriously? Describe the experience.

There was a pause, and then the Blue Dragon shook his head.

Jae Ha sighed. "Two down, one to _GO._ "

"What are you talking about?" frowned Kija.

"Shin Ah's dare, of course – the one where he has to _SING._ I was hoping he would get a Truth question so he'd be forced to sing out the _ANSWER._ "

"Sometimes I think you enjoy bullying him."

"Hm? I don't know what you're talking _ABOUT._ "

"Liar! You know exactly what I'm talking about!"

"Oh, it seems to be my turn _NOW._ " Jae Ha bent to pick out a slip, ignoring Kija's indignant scowl.

Jae Ha - What is your most embarrassing fear?

"Being mistaken for a _HOMO,_ " said Jae Ha, with a meaningful grin at Hak.

''Don't know what you're talking about,'' said Hak irritably, reusing Jae Ha's statement.

Jae Ha clicked his teeth. " _TOUCHE._ "

Hak - Piggyback someone while hopping around the group once.

Hak stared at the slip for a few moments. Then, with a sigh, he lumbered to his feet.

"Alright, Princess, it's time to go for a ride."

"What?" Yona looked startled. A blush began to spread across her face and neck. "Why?"

"You _are_ the only girl in this group," Yoon reminded her.

''What does that have to do with me?''

''It means Hak will have the least chances of breaking his back carrying you, Yona DEAR,'' explained Jae Ha indulgently.

Kija looked slightly morose as the Princess, understanding the situation, reluctantly picked herself up.

''What's wrong, _KIJA?_ Were you hoping that Hak would piggyback you _INSTEAD?_ '' teased Jae Ha.

''WHAT? Don't talk rubbish!''

''If I carried the White Snake, my back would break for a different reason,'' said Hak dryly. ''It's widely known that snakes constrict their prey before swallowing them, you know.''

''You ill-mannered lout! Don't make me twist out that mouth of yours!''

Hak pretended not to have heard. He bent his knees as Yona climbed aboard. As she did, she suddenly became ten times more aware of how broad Hak's back was, and the warmth that was emitting from it. She fastened her arms around his neck, face flushed.

"Ready?" he asked her. His face was close to hers. Too close.

"Un," she nodded timidly, not daring to raise her eyes.

Hak began to hop his way around the circle. With every thump, Yona would jerk back a little, her hair whipping loosely. It was surprisingly enjoyable. Before she knew it, she was giggling crazily.

"What's so funny?" demanded Hak, startled.

"It's fun," she said, still giggling.

''Huh." Hak gave an amused snort. "You're just like a kid, Princess."

''Don't you tempt me!'' she snapped, smacking the back of his head.

Hak continued to circumvent the group in hops and leaps. Finally, after one last _thump,_ he stopped, breathing heavily.

Realising that it was over, Yona slid off, a little taken aback by how fast it had been.

"Well, you looked like you were enjoying yourself," remarked Yoon.

"It would have been less exhausting if the load wasn't so heavy," said Hak carelessly.

Yona punched him in the ear and stalked back to her spot.

"Ouch." Hak rubbed the tender area, though he was careful not to let the Princess see his smile.

Kija - The group elects one person. This person has to pick anyone in the group to imitate and you have to guess who it is. Guess wrong and you have to pick another slip.

"Oh wow, this is interesting," said Jae Ha spiritedly. "I vote Hak."

"I vote Zeno," said Kija.

"So do I," said Yoon.

"Eh? Why me?" enquired Zeno.

"Because you're the only one who would be sporting enough to do this,'' pointed out the handsome genius.

"Zeno it is, then," said Yona. Shin Ah nodded.

"Alright!" said Zeno brightly. He took a moment to think. And then he grinned broadly.

"Well?" prompted Kija impatiently, when he had stayed like that for a minute.

"I'm doing it!"

"Oh, so that's why you're grinning," sighed the White Dragon. "Let me guess… you're imitating yourself."

"Bingo!"

"Well, that was awfully difficult," said Yoon sarcastically.


	3. Chapter 3

"Wait," said Jae Ha. "Before we move on…"

To Yoon's utter disgust, the Green Dragon planted a kiss on his cheek.

"Whew," sighed Jae Ha, falling back. "I was getting tired of all that bellowing."

"URGH! This is the last straw!" thundered Yoon. " _New rule!_ No one is allowed to kiss the same person for consecutive penalties!"

"If Yoon can make up a new rule, then so will I! In fact, I have a much better idea!" declared Zeno suddenly. He puffed out his chest and announced in proud tones, "Listen, everyone! From now on, the new penalty for guys will be to dress up as girls!"

"HUH?" Kija leapt up, looking highly indignant. "What sort of ridiculous notion is that?"

"It sounds fun," chortled Jae Ha. "Let's go with it!"

"We certainly will not!"

"It's loads better than kissing a man," said Hak thoughtfully.

Yoon seemed agreeable as well. Even Shin Ah was nodding.

Zeno pumped his fist in the air. "OK! The old penalty is now overruled!"

"This isn't happening." Kija let his face fall flat onto his palms. How did they wind up playing this insufferable game?

Yona - When and with whom was your first date?

"No one, nada, zilch," declared Yona.

Zeno - Bark like a dog.

"Woof! Woof!" yelped Zeno happily.

"Will he run if I throw a stick?" said Hak wearily to Yoon.

The handsome genius merely raised an eyebrow.

Yoon - Lie on the lap of the person to your left for the rest of the game.

"If you'll excuse me, Yona," said Yoon, resting his head on Yona's lap without hesitation.

Hak and Kija appeared thunderstruck. Jae Ha pumped his eyebrows at them and had to dodge the two boots that were sent flying at him.

Shin Ah – Hop around the group piggybacking someone.

"Yona, you're up," said Yoon automatically.

"Again?" With a sigh, Yona clambered onto Shin Ah's back, but she didn't complaint after that. Ao had scampered her way up onto Shin Ah's head, squealing with pleasure as she bounced up and down, and Yona laughed at the little critter's delight.

"Had fun, little one?" asked Hak, when the ride was over. Yona huffed at him, but before she could think of a retort, Jae Ha had already begun reading out his script.

Jae Ha - Has anyone ever tried to seduce you seriously? Describe the experience.

"Sadly, no. But there have been plenty of instances when I did the seducing –"

"OK, OK. We've heard enough," interrupted Hak.

Hak - Wear your clothes backwards for the rest of the game

"HA HA HA HA!" roared Jae Ha. "I _dare_ say this _dare_ was made for you, Hak!"

Hak looked as though he wanted to tear up the slip and thrust the pieces down the Green Dragon's throat.

Yona was highly amused. "You can't worm your way out of this one, Hak," she told him playfully.

Two painful minutes later, the tent flap was thrown aside. Out strode Hak with an expression of disgust, his dark blue robe and overcoat back to front.

Jae Ha's cheeks were puffed up in an effort to hold back his laughter.

"Looking good, Hak!" he said, flashing a thumbs-up sign.

"If you want your eyes to stay in their sockets, I suggest you shut up," growled Hak, flumping down angrily.

Kija - Say "in bed" after every sentence for the rest of the game

Kija buried his face in his hands. Jae Ha clapped him consolingly on the back.

"No need to worry, old fella. You might not be alone in this for long."

Kija shot him a look from between his fingers, and Jae Ha stopped comforting him at once.

Yona - Pretend to be hopelessly in love with the person on your left for the rest of the game

Yona's jaw dropped. Hak grinned slyly.

"Well, well. It's the Princess's first real challenge," he said with relish.

Quickly, Yona thought back to the only time she had been in love. It brought back painful memories… she remembered persistently staying on the person's shadow, sharing her sweets with him, laughing and smiling at every thing he said, and even flirting a little. She imagined doing any of those things with Hak, and thought she might as well shoot herself dead.

Hak was clearly enjoying himself. "What's wrong, Princess?" he said. "This isn't your first time, is it? Acting in love, that is."

Yona frowned. That's right. She and Hak had pretended to be 'in love' to drive away that irksome Fire Tribe prince three years ago.

"Oh? What incident was that?" asked Jae Ha with interest.

"None of your business Droopy Eyes," smirked Hak.

"I believe you woke up on the wrong side of the bed, Hak. Your clothes are on backwards."

"Thunder Beast," warned Yoon, as Hak made to toss his spear at Jae Ha. "Sorry Yona, but it's either this or the penalty."

The young genius did look a bit sorry for her. Kija was champing his teeth.

"Fine," said Yona, somewhat morosely. She took Hak's hand and rested her head on his shoulder. Kija made a choking noise. Zeno was bug-eyed. Hak's expression became blank; he hadn't expected the Princess to obey so quickly.

There was a long and awkward silence. And then –

"Zeno, it's your turn now," reminded Yoon, when no one made a move.

Zeno - Say "in bed" after every sentence for the rest of the game

A grin spread across Zeno's face. He declared, "White Dragon, you're no longer alone! In bed."

"See, Kija? Told you," laughed Jae Ha.

Kija groaned as Hak muttered, "And here we go."

Yoon - Drink a mystery brew concocted by the rest of the group. Make sure there is nothing harmful or dangerous in the concoction, and set a reasonable limit of sips the person must take to complete the dare.

"I'm in charge of this expedition!" declared a delighted Jae Ha, leaping to his feet. But –

"Just so you know," said Yoon very loudly and clearly, "if I find this brew even the least bit disagreeable, I'll serve everyone except Yona bugs and mountain grass for the rest of the trip."

Jae Ha froze in the midst of gathering a pot and a bag of salt.

"Of course we won't be putting anything weird!" he said, with a rather high laugh. "Right, guys? We wouldn't, would we?"

"You were all for it," said Hak darkly.

"Come on, Hak! Don't be like that. Help me out over here."

In the end, they ended up making a normal vegetable stew. The guys held their breaths as Yoon sampled the food, brows puckered.

"It's passable," said the handsome genius dismissively, much to the others' relief.

Shin Ah - Has anyone ever tried to seduce you seriously? Describe the experience.

Shin Ah shook his head as Jae Ha's head dipped in disappointment.

"Man! Did you have a deal with lady luck or something, Shin Ah?"

Jae Ha - What is the most romantically heart-throbbing moment of your life?

"The moment I set eyes on my beautiful master," grinned the Green Dragon.

"Hey," warned Kija, and then he blanched as he remembered his dare. " _In bed!_ " he added hastily.

Hak - Do 20 push-ups (200 if you're kija or jae ha)

Yona jerked away from Hak as though his shoulder had caught fire, her expression betraying her relief.

Chuckling, Hak executed the dare. Upon returning to his spot, he eyed Yona critically.

"What's wrong, Princess? You've just seen the love of your life accomplish a difficult feat. Shouldn't you be looking happier about it?"

Yona scowled. "It wasn't difficult for you to begin –" She stopped herself in time. Very reluctantly, the Princess forced a smile and said through gritted teeth, "My, Hak! You're so strong! I simply adore that strength of yours!"

Hak's shoulders shook with laughter. Swelling with indignity, Yona glared at him, her face bright red.

When his laughter was spent, Hak grinned at Yona and patted his shoulder.

"You know what to do, Princess," he drawled.

Yona suppressed the urge to clobber him. Grudgingly, she laid her head back on his shoulder, missing the soft smile that touched her childhood friend's lips as she did.

Kija - Sit on the lap of the person to your left for the rest of the game.

"Man, what a pain," sighed Yoon, as a dejected Kija settled himself on the genius's lap. Kija was heavier than he looked; Yoon was getting pins and needles.

"Don't hesitate to tell us if it gets uncomfortable, Yoon," said Yona. They made an odd sight, with Kija perched on Yoon's legs, Yoon's head resting on Yona's lap, and the Princess's head on Hak's shoulder.

Zeno laughed and clapped his hands together. "You look bizarre – in bed!"

"I feel excluded," said Jae Ha huffily, pretending to pout.

"You're welcome to put your head on my shoulder, Droopy Eyes," said Hak, with an ominous smile.

Jae Ha rejected his offer at once, waving an airy hand.

"No thank you. I have a feeling decapitation will come in somewhere."

Yona - Have you ever stolen anything? Describe.

"Never," said Yona firmly. She had been a Princess, after all, and every whim of hers had been taken care of. Her father had seen to that.

"That's hard to believe," said Hak flippantly.

Yona rounded on her childhood friend. "Oh? Is that so?"

"Yeah, Yona, don't you know?" said Jae Ha passionately. "You succeeded in stealing someone's heart a long time ago – "

Hak seized the front of Jae Ha's robes. "Want to see an actual heart being robbed?"

"Oh don't, Hak! Not in front of everyone!" exclaimed Jae Ha, pretending to swoon.

Infuriated, Hak sank his fist into the Green Dragon's face.

"Jae Ha must be an 'M'," remarked Yoon, to which an uncomprehending Shin Ah cocked his head.

Zeno - Get someone to blindfold you and spin you around five times. You have to find your way back to your spot without guidance

"Ha ha ha!" Zeno seemed tickled by the idea of being blindfolded and spun around like a human top. He continued to laugh even as Yoon bound a cloth over his eyes and turned him around five times. In fact, he didn't stop until he had stumbled his way back to his spot, after weaving around the place with his arms stretched out like a drunken zombie.

"Somehow, Zeno's actions are more disturbing than the dare itself," commented Jae Ha, as Zeno fell onto the ground, still shaking with laughter, the others giving him a wide berth.

Yoon – Carry someone princess style and walk around the group five times.

''I was eyeing that,'' lamented Jae Ha.

''You would,'' said Hak darkly.

''Feeling fashionable at the moment, Hak?''

''Hak,'' warned Yona, as the Thunder Beast went for his spear again. She let Yoon pick her up, the handsome genius tottering under her load.

"My arms," he groaned. He heaved the Princess around the group, almost tripping as he did so. "My arms." And then on the fourth round, he really did trip – right on top of Kija. Both genius and Princess tumbled, knocking the breath out of the White Dragon. Hak and Jae Ha had to lift them off of him before he axphyxiated.

"Yoon, the next time you get that dare, do me a favour and forfeit in bed," gasped Kija, as soon as he had enough breath for speech.

"Forfeit instead, OK?" prompted Zeno. "Otherwise you might really kill someone. In bed."

"I got it!" said Yoon hotly.

Shin Ah - Has anyone other than your family seen you completely naked? Describe.

Shin Ah shook his head. Jae Ha sighed dejectedly. Such R-rated questions tended to bounce off the Blue Dragon.

Jae Ha – Exchange shirts with the person on your right for the next round.

Jae Ha wrapped an arm around the Blue Dragon's shoulders."Don't look so downhearted, Shin Ah! It's fortunate we're about the same size, isn't it?"

Shin Ah shook his head, his way of saying – _I'm not upset._

"Good! Now let's remove that mask of yours!" Jae Ha made to lift up the black strap.

Shin Ah leapt back at once, shaking his head more vigorously, his way of saying – _Never!_

"Jae Ha, just do the exchange and be done with it," said Yoon exasperatedly.

When the deed was done, Jae Ha had completely forgot about his goal to remove Shin Ah's mask – he was too preoccupied with admiring his new robe.

"Look at that! I look good in blue, don't I?" he boasted, striking a pose.

"Your old robe was blue to begin with, idiot," pointed out Hak in annoyance.

"Shin Ah, you look great!" said Yona, beaming at the Blue Dragon. Ao squeaked in agreement.

Shin Ah rubbed the back of his head, blushing.

Hak - Rub noses with three players like a dog

 _"Which imbecile came up with such these absurd instructions?"_ demanded Hak of thin air.

Yoon flicked a dustball off of his tunic. "I believe it would be someone of the Green Dragon's disposition," he said casually.

Hak scowled. "Makes sense. If I hadn't seen Yoon purchasing the slips from that merchant with my own eyes, I would have traced the source straight to Droopy Eyes."

"How mean! When would I have time to think of these ideas?"

"How should I know how that perverse mind of yours works?"

"Don't change the subject."

 _Ah… that's right. I've got to deal with this confounded dare._ Hak scrutinised the group, eyes narrowed in concentration. _Let's see… who can I choose who would be less humiliating to do it with…?_

 _Shin Ah!_ Hak crooked a finger at the Blue Dragon.

''Shin Ah, come here."

Startled, Shin Ah straightened up, hands tightening on his robe. He shook his head agitatedly.

"Come on. I won't bite," said Hak impatiently.

"Shin Ah doesn't want to remove his mask," explained Yona. "Hak, why don't you choose someone else?"

"Me! Do it with me in bed!" cried Zeno, jumping up and down enthusiastically.

Hak appraised the Yellow Dragon.

"I'd sooner die," he said, without a pause.

Zeno howled. "You're terrible!"

"Hak, don't make Zeno cry," scolded Yona. "Just do it. _He's_ not going to bite."

Hak clenched his teeth – the Princess could really drive him crazy sometimes.

"Alright!" Hak bent forward. The Yellow Dragon squealed happily and rubbed his nose against the Dark Dragon's. They drew apart almost immediately

Hak's wiped his nose distastefully. Two more to go. Who else…?

"I volunteer," said Yoon offhandedly. He knew that a million years would pass before Hak would let either Kija or Jae Ha so much as shake his hand.

Hak and Yoon rubbed noses. Now all that was left was…

"Yona." Yoon kept his eyes on Yona as he jerked his head toward Hak. _It's your turn now._

 _Urgh…_ Yona bit her lip. Hak turned his gaze on her.

"You OK with it, Princess?"

Yona nodded, but her heart was drumming fast. She leant toward Hak. At the same time, he bent toward her. She swallowed. Their faces were so close. She could see his eyes, gazing into hers like deep, dark pools. He was close enough for her to feel his breath …

Yona couldn't help it. She shut her eyes.

When she opened them next, Hak had torn himself away from her. There was a strange expression on his face.

"I've changed my mind," he said. "I surrender to a forfeit."

"Eh?" Yona blinked, taken aback. "Wait, _what?_ "

"I promised I wouldn't do this anymore," he said, smiling at her. "And I intend to keep my promises, even in a game."

How could he not, when she had been making a face like that?

Yona's mind whirled. Part of her was relieved that Hak had chosen to back out, but another part was also confused. She didn't know what to do.

"Hak," she said. He turned back to her, still with that strange look in his eyes.

In that moment, the Princess decided. Before Hak could react, she put her face forward, and their noses touched for a second, then two, and then three.

Yona withdrew, her cheeks flushed. She stared at Hak resolutely. Her childhood friend stared back, just as stunned as she had been.

Suddenly, Yona remembered where she was

"S–So! Don't go doing whatever you like next time!" she told Hak, retreating to her spot. Her face was burning like the sun.

''How about doing it with me too, Yona dear?'' requested Jae Ha earnestly.

''Sorry to break it to you, but she did it with me because I'm special,'' confided Hak with a smug smile.

''Sorry to be the bringer of bad news too, Hak, but if you're trying to set a new fashion trend, I don't think anyone's following it.''

 _''I'll have you this time!''_ Hak grabbed his spear and leapt onto Jae Ha. An all-out fight ensued.

Yoon heaved a big sigh. ''Oh, Yona... if only you knew.''

''Eh?'' The Princess blinked, oblivious to his meaning.


	4. Chapter 4

Yona – Sit on the lap of the person to your left for the rest of the game.

Everyone was dumbfounded. This meant that Yona would have to sit on Zeno while resting on Hak's shoulder, with Yoon's head on her lap and Kija perched on the genius's legs.

But Zeno was unperturbed.

"Zeno will take up the challenge in bed!" he cried confidently. "Zeno will not be defeated by a mere dare! In bed!"

"Zeno, Yona's purity is in bed," said Kija, and then blanched. "I mean – her purity is in your hands! In bed!"

"White Snake, are you looking to die?"

"Shut up, you wild beast!"

"My, everyone sure does look interesting," grinned Jae Ha, arms folded behind his head, as Zeno enforced his dare.

Kija scowled. "Just you wait. Soon, you'll be joining us. In bed."

Zeno – After everything you say, add "Whoa ... I'm good!" for the rest of the game.

Zeno was ecstatic.

"I once went a whole month without bathing in bed!" he exclaimed. "Whoa… I'm good!"

"There was absolutely no necessity for that comment," said Hak, as Yoon groaned.

"This is going to be torture," said the young genius.

Jae Ha was wearing an apprehensive expression. "And when was the last time you bathed?" he asked the Yellow Dragon.

"Do you really want to hear the answer to that in bed?" pointed out Kija dryly.

Jae Ha made a face. "You got a point."

Sidling up to the young genius, the Green Dragon whispered, "Yoon, could you by any chance get Zeno to draw the 'river' slip next?"

"No," said Yoon flatly to the sky.

"Oh, come on! Do you want everyone to get infected?"

"Rules are rules. Now quit badgering me and get my slip."

Yoon – Keep your eyes closed for the next three turns

"This has got to be the most unimaginative dare ever written," sighed Yoon, whose eyes were already shut.

"WHOA, I'M GOOD IN BED!" bellowed Zeno into Yoon's ear, causing him to jerk back violently.

"WHAT'S YOUR PROBLEM?"

"I was trying to make things interesting in bed! Whoa… I'm good!"

"DO THAT AGAIN AND I'LL STICK A NEEDLE THROUGH YOUR TEETH!"

"Stop moving, you idiots!" shouted Hak, as Yona's face was squashed against his chest. He stiffened abruptly.

"On second thought, do continue… "

Jae Ha drew back, pretending to look thunderstruck. "Such indecency, Hak!"

"Thunder Beast, I've left Jae Ha in charge of the slips, so please refrain from killing him," said Yoon, as Hak's turned his gaze on Jae Ha, eyes sparking.

Shin Ah – How good looking is the person across from you?

Shin Ah turned slowly to Hak.

"Like a warrior," he said quietly.

"Like a warrior… you have to be more specific than that, Shin Ah," said Yoon.

Shin Ah turned to Yoon.

"A warrior," he repeated.

"Now, now, Shin Ah," said Jae Ha, clapping the Blue Dragon on the back. "It's OK to be honest. If you think Hak looks like a troll, you can just say it out – "

Anticipating the spear this time, Jae Ha dodged it expertly; it shot past him and hit the ground inches from Kija.

" _Are you crazy?"_ shouted Kija, having leapt out of the way in time, eyes bulging. _"Don't throw spears on a whim in bed!"_

"It's stuck good," said Jae Ha, yanking the hilt with some amusement.

"Leave it," said Yoon. "Thunder Beast, I told you to hold back. I don't care about Jae Ha, but you might maim Kija or Shin Ah."

"Ha ha ha… Yoon sure knows how to joke," laughed Jae Ha brightly.

Jae Ha – The group elects a person. You are to close your eyes and guess who it is by touching their face. Guess wrong and you have to pick another slip.

 _On no account is anyone to pick the Princess,_ was the first thing that dropped into Hak's mind.

 _If we pick Yona, Hak will definitely murder the Green Dragon,_ thought Yoon at the same time.

"This looks interesting," grinned Jae Ha. He turned his back on the group so that they could have privacy to choose.

 _They cannot pick me,_ thought Shin Ah, his hand going reflexively to his mask. _At all costs, they cannot pick me._

 _Shin Ah. Let it be Shin Ah,_ prayed the Green Dragon earnestly.

 _Hak is out,_ counted Yoon mentally. _Yona is out, and Shin Ah is out. The only ones left are Kija, Zeno and me._

The young genius beckoned Kija and Zeno over. They huddled together conspiratorially.

"We'll decide this with a game of rock-paper-scissors," whispered Yoon. "One… two… three!"

When Jae Ha was given the green light to go, he turned back around, keeping his eyes shut.

 _Let it be Shin Ah,_ he hoped, as his hands were guided to the chosen face.

There came a fit of giggles.

" _That tickles!_ Whoa, I'm good in bed!"

Yoon slapped his forehead as Jae Ha sighed.

"It's just you, Zeno."

"Zeno, you moron!" barked Yoon.

"But it was really ticklish! Whoa… I'm good in bed!"

"Yeah you're good! Good for nothing!"

"Yoon… did you want to see me in drag that badly?" asked Jae Ha wryly.

Kija – Hop around the group piggybacking someone.

Kija blushed harder than ever as the Princess hopped onto his back. In spite of his Dragon leg, he seemed to be having great trouble in making his way around. His face was getting redder and redder.

Hak smirked. "See, Princess? I told you to avoid those meat dumplings earlier."

"You be quiet!"

Finally, Kija deposited Yona on the ground and slumped down, wheezing heavily.

"White Snake, you've grown weak," remarked Hak.

 _Shing!_ Hak dodged the White Dragon's claws neatly.

Kija gnashed his teeth, seething. "One more word and I'll dice you in bed!" he threatened.

"Yeah, yeah," said Hak indifferently, examining his fingernails.

Hak - Yell at the top of your lungs for ten seconds.

Hak did so. His voice echoed powerfully, and Jae Ha and Zeno clapped enthusiastically.

"Bravo! Three cheers for the Dark Dragon!" cried Jae Ha, raising an imaginary glass.

Hak smiled and raised one as well, but he looked ready to slam it into Jae Ha's face instead.

"On second thought, let's skip the toast," said Jae Ha, dropping his hand quickly.

Yona – Spin on the spot with your eyes closed for ten seconds, after which someone in the group says, "Stop!" You have to guess who it is or else repeat the dare until you get it right.

Yona twirled beautifully, and then not so much, for she began to see stars spinning along with her. She was so dizzy, she missed out on Kija calling "Stop in bed!" and Hak had to grab her shoulders.

"Thank goodness it was Kija," muttered Yona breathlessly. "I might have been spinning for ages."

"The three of them reached a unanimous agreement," said Yoon. Hak, Kija and Jae Ha had elected Kija so that it would be easy for Yona to guess who it was.

"Probably for the first and last time," added Yoon under his breath.

"Huh?"

"Nothing," sighed Yoon. There was no point in explaining it to this dense Princess.

Zeno – What is the most sensual item of clothing you own?

"Do I need to demonstrate it in bed?" inquired Zeno excitedly. "Whoa… I'm good!"

"What the heck are you so happy about?!" snapped Yoon.

"Some part of Jae Ha must have rubbed off on the Yellow Dragon," theorised Hak.

"No it hasn't!" protested Zeno. "Zeno just wasn't sure if it was appropriate to flash my underclothing in bed. Whoa, I'm good!"

"Alright! We get the idea!"

Jae Ha snorted at Hak's expression. "Well… it's way better than having your clothes on in reverse."

"SHIN AH –MY SPEAR.''

Jae Ha leaned toward the Blue Dragon. "Shin Ah, either you give Hak his weapon and go mask-less, or you can stay put and keep your face private."

Flustered, Shin Ah glanced from one to the other, as though unable to make up his mind.

"Oh, that's enough. Leave poor Shin Ah alone," reproached Yona, frowning.

"If the Princess wishes for it, it is done," acknowledged Jae Ha.

"Prejudiced, much?" muttered Hak, although he complied, too.

Yoon – Have you ever stolen anything? Describe.

"Where to begin?" drawled Yoon, looking awash in childhood memories. "Should I start with the bread I stole from a farmer's family… ?"

"I don't think you need to elaborate in bed, Yoon," said Kija uneasily.

Yona nodded seriously. "We'll let you off the hook this time."

Jae Ha smirked at Hak. "What were you saying about prejudice?"

"Shut up!"

Shin Ah – Have you ever kissed someone who has no familial ties to you? If so, who was it and why?

Shin Ah shook his head silently.

"I doubt poor Shin Ah's ever been kissed by anyone, let alone done the kissing," fretted Jae Ha. He opened up his arms wide. "Come on, Shin Ah. Take off that mask so we can enforce a group hug."

Shin Ah leapt up, taking cover behind Kija.

"Good move in bed, Shin Ah," said Kija, giving Jae Ha a wry face.

Jae Ha – Have you ever told a lie during a game of Truth or Dare? What was it and why?

"Nope!"

"How do we know that's not a lie too?" demanded Hak.

"You don't."

"I call it," said Kija, scowling at the Green Dragon.

Jae Ha put on a hurt expression. "Come on! Don't you trust me?"

"Kija," interrupted Yoon. "You forgot to say 'in bed'."

Kija looked as though he wanted to throw himself into the stream.

 _A quarter of an hour later…_

A depressed Kija emerged from the tent with Yoon. The White Dragon's silvery hair had been bundled into tiny twintails, his face decorated with patches of rouge and lips dabbed with a touch of vivid red lip paint.

"Kija, my pretty, please marry me," called Jae Ha lovingly. "As a fellow Dragon sibling, I'll take good care of you."

"Jae Ha, that's incest," scowled Yoon.

Kija wasn't listening; he sank to the ground, lost to the world.

"Why so glum, White Snake? You were pretty keen on it last time," commented Hak breezily.

Kija's head snapped up.

"That was different!" he snarled furiously. "The Princess's life was at stake!"

"There's no need to make excuses, Kija darling," said Jae Ha airily.

The White Dragon took a swipe at him.

"Oh my! You need a manicure, Miss Kija!" exclaimed Jae Ha, swiftly dodging the long talons.

"Silence, you fiend!"

"Kija, you look sweet," beamed Yona. "Come and sit next to me."

Kija blushed, dropping his gaze. Hak's smirk evaporated.

"Hak, it's bad enough that you're wearing your clothes backward – you don't have to do the same for your smile," said Jae Ha.

Next moment, Hak was towering over the Green Dragon, the spear back in his hands.

" _If it's death you want, I'll be more than happy to grant it to you."_

"Yona dear," called Jae Ha brightly to the Princess, although sweat drops were running down his face, "aren't you supposed to uphold your dare?"

"That's right, Yona. You can't stop you know," added Yoon.

Yona blinked in alarm, and Yoon sat up so that the Princess could leap to her feet. She ran up to Hak, entwined her arms around his and fixed him pleading eyes.

"Hak… " she began.

Hak looked down into her eyes….

… and his spear thudded onto the ground.

 _Oh? I haven't even said anything…_ thought Yona, surprised.

"Nice performance, Yona," commended Yoon, as Hak lumbered back to his spot, red as a lobster, Yona still clinging to his arm.

"Thanks!" said Yona, smiling at the young genius. "Hak, why is your skin so hot?"

 _She's so clueless,_ thought Yoon with exasperation. "Oh – Kija, there's no need for this anymore," he added, as the White Dragon made to perch back on his legs. "You've already been subjected to the penalty…"

"Doesn't this mean he's exempted from all truths and dares?" questioned Jae Ha.

Yoon looked thoughtful. "That's right…" he said. "OK, then. Let's make it a three-turn sentence. So Kija, yours will last for six turns. Unless you want to continue your last dare?"

"Six turns it is," said Kija hollowly.

Kija - Are you scared of dying? Why?

Kija's eyes were glazed over.

''Dying doesn't sound so bad right now…"

"Kija!" gasped Yona in shock, as Yoon shook the White Dragon impatiently.

"Kija, get a hold of yourself."

"Let him go, Yoon. I'll be glad to finally be rid of this rubbish," said Hak.

Kija snapped awake.

" _HUH? As if I'd leave before you, you filthy beast!"_

"Oh! Nice recovery, Hak," said Jae Ha.

Hak – Carry someone princess style and walk around the group five times, at a normal pace.

"Let's go, Princess," said Hak, getting to his feet.

The thought of being carried around by Hak didn't sit well with Yona.

"I object!" she said, a little too shrilly.

Hak looked taken aback.

"Yona dear, I understand your disinclination, but I'm afraid you are still bound by your dare," reminded Jae Ha mildly.

 _Shucks! I keep forgetting._ Yona bit her lip in frustration. She cast around for an exit.

"Uh… well… I would love to do it, but shouldn't we give the others a chance? Yoon, for instance."

"Yona dear, Yoon is not a girl. It'll wound his pride."

"Then… Ao! Ao should be fine! She enjoys rides, don't you, Ao?"

 _This is beginning to sound familiar,_ thought Hak exasperatedly. He bent his face close to Yona.

"It's fine if you don't want to, Princess. But you'll have to let me kiss your neck instead."

Yona went completely rigid. Her mouth opened and closed like a goldfish, although she made no sound. Hak took advantage of her immobility to hoist her up. She gasped, her whole body tensing up, as he strolled around the group chuckling.

"Princess, were you that affected by my dumpling comment?"

Yona glared daggers at him.

"Who would be affected by an untruth, you meanie!" she said.

"And round goes the Flirting Wagon," mumbled Yoon.

"I'm surprised you can move around in those clothes," said Kija, when Hak passed him by.

"Thanks. Those are some cute twintails, by the way."

" _What did you say?"_

"Kija, you have to learn to be more thick-skinned in bed," said Zeno merrily. "Whoa… I'm good!"

"Those words are pretty shallow coming from you," remarked Kija.

Yona – How good-looking is the person across from you?

Yona stared at Jae Ha for a long while.

"How good-looking… well, I thought he was pretty suave…"

"You flatter me, Princess," said Jae Ha, with a charming smile.

"Thunder Beast, you look scary," said Yoon apprehensively.

Jae Ha grinned slyly. "What about Hak, Yona?" he asked the Princess brightly. "How good-looking is he to you?"

Yona looked startled. "Huh? Um… well…"

She glanced uneasily at Hak, who looked back at her. She had never thought of her childhood friend this way. The fact that their faces were so close wasn't helping either –

Yona dropped her gaze, cheeks puffed out defiantly.

 _"Like a thug."_

Jae Ha dissolved into silent laughter. Hak looked like someone had just dumped a pile of rotten eggs on him.

Then –

"Just kidding," said Yona. She beamed warmly up at Hak. "In my eyes, there couldn't be a more handsome man."

Hak's mind exploded. It took a moment to put himself back together.

"You're saying this because of the dare, aren't you?" he said, trying to sound indifferent, though he was finding it hard to draw breath.

"Don't know what you mean," said Yona in a sing-song voice.

"Well, whoever his future wife is, he could definitely use her help in dressing himself," said Jae Ha.

"Excuse me, Princess," said Hak, casually getting to his feet. He rolled up his sleeves, bearing down on the Green Dragon.

Jae Ha laughed nervously. "Come on, Hak. You know I was just kidding."

"Really? _Too bad._ "

"Thunder Beast," called Yoon exasperatedly, over the following bangs and clatters, "please don't actually kill him, OK?"


	5. Chapter 5

"OK guys! it's time to change," said Yoon, stretching his arms and accidentally poking Hak in the stomach.

Yona frowned. "What do you mean 'change', Yoon?"

"I thought I told you earlier – the nature of this game requires us to keep switching places."

"Oh."

"Does this mean we'll be starting afresh?" asked Kija hopefully.

"Mm… I suppose so."

Kija pumped his fist in the air. "Finally!"

 _Yeah, finally…_ Hak sighed and got up. He had had enough with his confounded dare.

"Remember, Hak – buttons at the front," called Jae Ha, as the Thunder Beast entered the tent.

BONK! A piece of firewood hit the Green Dragon's head.

The new arrangement ran in this way – Yona, Hak, Jae Ha, Yoon, Shin Ah, Kija and lastly, Zeno.

Hak appeared torn by this. If Yona drew the 'head on lap' dare, well, it would be a bonus. A godsend, even. But if _he_ got it instead… he shivered, praying he wouldn't have to cross that perilous bridge.

"Well, I'll be starting now!" said Yona cheerfully.

Yona – Have you ever kissed someone who has no familial ties to you? If so, who was it and why?

"No one at all," said the Princess, blushing a little.

"Of course! You are purer than any diamond, Princess," said Kija passionately.

"But Yona dear, it's not too late for your first kiss, you know," said Jae Ha with all sincerity. "I bet if you asked around, you would have plenty of volunteers, one of whom is closer than you'd expect… "

"Jae Ha, you must be wanting to commit indirect suicide pretty badly," remarked Yoon, as Hak turned ominously toward the Green Dragon.

"Oops! It's your turn, Hak!" laughed Jae Ha, immediately seizing a slip and thrusting it into Hak's hand.

Hak – Run around imitating a monkey until someone says you can stop.

The slip was crushed in Hak's fist.

"AAHHH! Thunder Beast, be careful with that!" cried Yoon in alarm.

"What does it say?" asked Yona.

When the slip was finally liberated, those in the vicinity bent over to read.

"Run around imitating a monkey until someone says you can stop," said Jae Ha. He threw back his head and laughed. "HAHAHA! THIS IS A CLASSIC!"

Hak grabbed the slip and slammed it into the Green Dragon's face. Then he stood up, breathing violently for several seconds.

"Stop!" cried Yona unexpectedly.

Everyone looked at her. Hak blinked several times, and then a grin spread across his face.

"Thank you, Princess," he said heartily, and he sat back down, looking immensely pleased.

" _What?_ " protested Jae Ha. "Is this even legal?!"

"Shut up, Droopy Eyes! Whatever the Princess says, we have to obey. You said it yourself."

"Oh? Didn't you start yet?" asked Yona, looking highly confused. "Sorry, I thought you did. You were standing there with your arms hanging by your sides, so I thought… "

Jae Ha began convulsing with laughter. Hak was stupefied.

Yoon gave a sigh. "Thunder Beast, hang in there, OK?"

"Jae Ha, it's your turn," said Kija, when Jae Ha still didn't stop laughing. Tears were running down his face.

"Sorry, sorry… "

Jae Ha – Spin on the spot with your eyes closed for ten seconds, after which someone in the group says, "Stop!" You have to guess who it is or else repeat the dare until you get it right

"The Gods are just," said Hak, rolling up his sleeves as Jae Ha obligingly spun on his dragon leg.

"That's right! I forgot that you're a seasoned ventriloquist," said Kija sarcastically.

"What are you implying, White Snake?! You saying you can do it better?"

"It goes without saying, you wild beast!"

"Hey… it's been more than ten seconds, guys… is no one going to say 'stop'?" enquired Jae Ha dizzily.

"Stop," said a small voice.

Jae Ha stopped spinning at once.

"Huh?" he said, turning to face the group. "Who said that?"

Everybody looked around in confusion.

"Oh, alright." Looking miffed, Jae Ha started spinning again. Meanwhile, the others were still searching for the source of the voice.

"Uh… does anyone know where it came from?" asked Kija, glancing around puzzledly.

"It sounded rather familiar," said Yona thoughtfully.

Yoon hugged himself, shivering.

"Urgh! Is this place haunted or something?"

"No!" Zeno grabbed Kija's arm in panic.

"Ow! You're gripping me too hard, Zeno!"

"Stop."

All heads jerked up as Jae Ha coasted to a halt.

" _Huh?_ Who is it?" demanded Jae Ha frustratedly. Whoever it was, he was pretty good.

Hak was the only one who was unperturbed so far. He swerved his finger in circles, smirking.

"Keep twirling, Droopy Eyes."

 _What? Was it Hak?_ wondered Jae Ha in vexation, swivelling on his dragon leg again. _But it didn't sound like him…_

White in the face, Yoon scooted closer to Shin Ah.

"This place _is_ haunted!"

"Zeno, will you let go?" shouted Kija irritably.

"Never!"

"Hak, I'm scared… " said Yona, edging up to Hak nervously.

"Hm? I thought you got over your fear of ghosts, Princess."

Yona stared at him. She suddenly looked suspicious.

"Hold on… was it _you,_ Hak?"

"Let's see… Was it me, I wonder…" said Hak lazily.

Yona puffed out her cheeks furiously. "It _is_ you, isn't it?!"

"Stop."

"Ah ha!" Jae Ha stopped his motion with a stomp of his foot. "So it was you!"

He pointed at Shin Ah. Everyone gaped at the Blue Dragon.

"What… it was just Shin Ah… " Yoon breathed a sigh of relief.

Yona blinked. "Eh? It was Shin Ah?"

Hak scowled. _Damn, I was so close._

"Wait! You knew it was Shin Ah all along?" demanded the Princess indignantly.

Hak shrugged heavily. "It was fun while it lasted."

Tremendously relieved, Zeno let go of Kija's arm.

"AH! You've left finger marks all over my arm!" exclaimed Kija, having pulled up his sleeves and discovered the red streaks.

"White Snake, don't be a baby. You leave far more permanent marks on others," said Hak.

Yoon – What were your first impressions of me?

"Alright! Hit it, people!"

The answer came in a chorus.

"Mother."

Yoon's eyes bulged out. "WHAT?"

"Uh, sorry, did we say mother? We meant father," said Hak, scratching his cheek carelessly.

"The question isn't asking about your current impressions, you morons!"

"An annoying brat, then," said Hak, sounding bored.

"An annoying brat," agreed Jae Ha.

"An annoying brat," said Kija and Zeno.

"You infernal beasts… " said Yoon, gritting his teeth.

"A healer," chimed in Yona. "And an orange, for some reason."

"Fear of earthquakes," said Shin Ah quietly.

"Thank you for your _honest_ opinions," said Yoon testily.

Shin Ah – If you knew the world was about to end, what would you do?

Immediately, Shin Ah wrapped Ao in his arms.

"Shin Ah – what are you doing?" asked Kija, eyeing him in bemusement.

"Protect," said the Blue Dragon determinedly. "Protect Ao."

Then he dragged himself over to Yona and hugged her too.

"Protect Yona," he added.

"Please don't hug me next," said Jae Ha uneasily. "It brings up unpleasant memories."

Kija – Pretend to be hopelessly in love with the person on your left for the rest of the game.

"NOOOOOO!" The White Dragon grabbed his head in despair.

"I'm flattered, Kija, but I'm not looking to be in a relationship at the moment," Zeno told him brightly.

"As if such a repulsive notion would cross my mind!"

"Kija," warned Yoon.

With a long-suffering groan, Kija's forehead came to rest on the ground. "I want out… "

"It's only for three turns, Kija," said Yona soothingly. "It'll be over before you know it."

Kija looked up at her dazedly. "Princess… how did you know I was going to forfeit?"

"Well, it seemed that way… "

Back in drag, Kija exited the tent. His back was hunched so low that he looked like an old crone.

"Here, let me help you, Granny Kija," said Jae Ha, offering his arm to the White Dragon like a gentleman.

"ARGH!" Kija slashed at Jae Ha furiously. The Green Dragon leapt out of the way, waving his arms reassuringly.

"It's OK, Granny Kija! I'm not after your money or anything!"

"JUST DIE ALREADY!"

"Hak – tell this old lady I mean no harm!" choked out Jae Ha, fending off the White Dragon's attacks.

"Granny Kija, this gentleman means you plenty of harm," drawled Hak.

" _Hak!_ You're so cruel!"

"I'M GOING TO TEAR OUT YOUR THROAT!"

"Ahhh… they're so noisy… " said Yoon, looking extremely annoyed.

Zeno – Drink a mystery brew concocted by the rest of the group. Make sure there is nothing harmful or dangerous in the concoction, and set a reasonable limit of sips the person must take to complete the dare.

"Yay! I've always wanted to live dangerously!" proclaimed Zeno happily.

"Yeah… but since you can't die, it actually undermines the risks, you know?" said Yoon dryly.

Jae Ha rubbed his hands together.

"In that case, let's give it our all!"

The rest of the Happy Hungry Bunch began picking out arbitrary ingredients.

"Let's empty this!" said Kija, grabbing a whole bag of salt.

"We'll put in this whole thing too!" said Jae Ha, lifting up a huge chunk of ginger.

"Hold your horses! Those are our rations you're wasting, idiots!" yelled Yoon angrily.

"Oh! Add that in!" cried Zeno, pointing excitedly at an earthworm inching its way across the soil.

" _Zeno!_ You're not supposed to sabotage yourself!"

Yona had set the pot of water to boil. She hummed to herself as she stirred the contents.

"Princess, what have you got in there?" asked Hak, studying the murky contents suspiciously.

"Bean paste," answered Yona casually. "And some anchovies too."

"These ones are raw, aren't they?"

"Yup. I mashed them up before adding them in."

"… You sure are merciless, Princess."

"Well, like Yoon said – Zeno can't die, so it should be fine."

Yoon was still trying to wrestle the ginger from Jae Ha.

"Let me do it! We don't need to use the whole thing! We'll have to chop it up anyway; it brings out the flavour more strongly!"

Shin Ah was pulling out blades of grass by the stream.

 _Grass?_ Hak was stunned. He watched as the Blue Dragon went up to Yona with a generous bundle in his arms.

"Oh, thanks, Shin Ah! Here, just drop it in!"

Hak could have sworn the brew changed colour the moment the grass plopped into its depths.

"What is this… some kind of necromancer's potion…?" he said apprehensively.

"There. Now we just have to let it cool," said Yona, sweeping her hands in satisfaction.

"What are you cooking up, Miss?" joked Zeno, peering over her shoulder.

Yona pushed him back hurriedly. "It's a surprise, Zeno, so don't look until we say so!"

Zeno laughed. "OK, OK!"

"Why don't we resume the game first?" suggested Yoon.

Hak – Have you ever told a lie during a game of Truth or Dare? What was it and why?

"Let's go, Yoon," said Hak, getting to his feet.

"Somehow, I knew you would say it at some point," said Yoon, doing the same.

"Eh? What's going on?" asked Yona, glancing from one to the other in surprise.

Jae Ha was having difficulty forming words in his mirth.

"Hak is – forfeiting – " he managed to choke out.

Yona was shocked. "EH? What could be so bad to make him give up like this?!"

A short while later, the Princess's shock died down; Hak had just come out, his hair sporting pigtails identical to Kija's, and his face…

"I think I get how people can die of laughter," remarked Yoon, eyeing the Princess exasperatedly; Yona showed no signs of stopping even after several minutes had passed. "Even Jae Ha already reached his limit."

Hak was sitting with his arms folded, his expression so sour it could have curdled cheese further.

"I didn't know you had such a lovely granddaughter, Granny Kija," Jae Ha told the White Dragon charmingly.

"Sure. Do me a favour and marry each other," scowled Kija. "It'll give _me_ something to laugh about for a change!"

"The brew is getting cold, by the way," Yoon informed Zeno, upon remembering the Yellow Dragon's unfulfilled dare.

"Oh! This looks good!" exclaimed Zeno, dancing over to where the pot was. He tipped the whole thing into his mouth.

 _He's crazy!_ thought Yoon, his mouth dropping open. _Is he going to down it in one go?_

"Whoa!" Zeno leapt back all of a sudden. Yoon thought he had succumbed to the horrible concoction, but the pot collapsed, spilling out the rest of the contents…

… including Ao.

"Ao!"

"Ao?! How long have you been in there?" demanded Kija in alarm.

"Urgh! I thought I tasted squirrel… " coughed Zeno weakly.

"Ao, this isn't a hot spring, you know!" said Yona fretfully, as Shin Ah dried off the little critter. Ao gave a small squeak of displeasure.

"She's probably just hungry," sighed Yoon. After spending months with this motley group, he was already resistant to their surprises. "Here… have a rice ball."

Ao took the snack and munched on it happily.

Jae Ha – Has anyone other than your family seen you completely naked? Describe.

" _Muahahahahahahahahahaha…"_ Jae Ha gave a long and bloodcurdling laugh.

"Princess, when I give the signal, just run. Run and don't look back," Hak hissed to Yona.

"Uh… why – ?" Yona tried to ask, but the sight of Hak's face sent her into another howling fit.

 _This is bad! She's too distracted to take me seriously!_ thought Hak in panic. He shot a look at Kija, who nodded, promptly picked up the Princess and scurried for cover.

Yoon grabbed Shin Ah's- and Zeno's hands, and they fled in the White Dragon's shadow, leaving Hak completely alone with the Green Dragon.

It was a long while before the Kija and the others dared to return. When they did, they found Jae Ha where he was, looking serene, while a corpse lay in Hak's place.

"Oh – hey!" greeted Jae Ha cheerfully. "Where did you run off to? You missed out my delightful answer."

Yoon approached the corpse slowly.

"Thunder Beast… " he said blankly, "what did you hear?"

But Hak was too far gone to reply him.

"What's wrong, Hak?" enquired Yona, poking her childhood friend in the cheek. "Jae Ha, what did you tell him?"

"Time's up! It's my turn now!" shouting Yoon, hastily snatching up a slip before Jae Ha could answer.

Yoon – Act like a dog and get petted by everyone.

Furious, Yoon attempted to stuff his slip into Hak's mouth.

"OI! WHAT DO YOU THINL YOU'RE DOING?" Hak bolted up, spluttering with rage.

"Tch." Yoon gave up his attempt. If only Hak could have remained dead for a little longer.

With every show of reluctance, the young genius got down on all fours and surrendered himself to abject humiliation. Even Ao had a turn in petting him.

"So this what I get for feeding you?" he demanded of the squirrel.

Ao answered with a happy squeak.

Shin Ah – Lick the cheek of the person on your right.

Yoon was stupefied.

"Wait!" he cried, as Shin Ah loomed over him obligingly. The handsome genius stuck a piece of riceball on his face. He braced himself. "Alright – lick it up, Shin Ah!"

"So much for tying up the loopholes! You're the one who's desperately seeking one!" accused Kija indignantly.

 _Urgh._ Yoon grimaced. The White Dragon was right.

"Fine!" snapped the young genius. "I forfeit! You happy now?"

"Granny Kija, you've been extremely productive," grinned Jae Ha, as a scowling, cross-dressed Yoon joined his fellow victims moments later.

Kija flew at Jae Ha with a cat-like roar.

"If that idiotic White Snake could just calm down and think," said Hak exasperatedly, "he would realise that kids can't possibly be the direct offspring of their grandparents."

"A comment like that would make him angry either way," said Yona.

Kija – What do you wear to bed?

"What a ridiculous question," said Kija disdainfully. "My white robes, of course."

"Yes. Or more like, it's the only thing you wear," said Jae Ha, raising his eyebrows. "You and Hak ought to learn some fashion tips."

"AND YOU NEED A LESSON IN PAIN!" bellowed Kija, springing on the Green Dragon again.

"It's my turn now!" announced Zeno, drawing a slip cheerfully, as the White- and Green Dragons grappled in a cloud of dust.

Suddenly, Zeno's eyes rolled over; he fell to the ground, writhing and clutching his chest and making horrible gagging noises.

"ZENO!" shrieked Yona, the colour draining rapidly from her face.

 _Oh no! That brew must have done it!_ thought Yoon in horror.

Hak was on Zeno in a flash.

"Zeno! What's wrong? _Zeno!_ "

Suddenly, the Yellow Dragon sat up, his arm accidentally whacking Hak on the chin.

"Ha ha ha! I had everyone fooled!" gloated the Yellow Dragon delightedly.

For a moment, nobody understood. Then Shin Ah held up the slip that Zeno had dropped.

 _Pretend you've having a heart attack._

"Well… I didn't think you guys would react so nicely," chuckled Zeno, as the others stared at him, dumbfounded. "I should do this for a living!"

"Oh?" growled Hak dangerously. There was a mark below his mouth where the Yellow Dragon had got him, and his expression resembled a demon as he advanced slowly on him. "You'll find it pretty hard when we're through with you, old man."

"Perhaps we should give him a real heart attack," said Yoon, also towering over Zeno with a murderous aura.

"Wait, guys! It was just a joke! A joke! You know I can't die! Wait - what are you doing? No! NOOOOOOO - !"

"It's rare to see Yoon so mad," Yona told Kija. "Guys, could you come back? I need to read out my slip."


	6. Chapter 6

Yona – What's your scariest nightmare?

"Interesting! Be sure not to leave out any details, Princess," grinned Hak.

"I'll punch the living daylights out of you!" exclaimed the furious Princess.

"Was it about Hak making a move on you, Yona dear?" asked Jae Ha innocently.

"You know, Droopy Eyes, I've been wanting a life-szied bowtie for a long time," said Hak, twisting Jae Ha's arms as the Green Dragon choked.

"I yield! I yield!"

Paying no attention to the hoodlums, Kija asked Yona, "What kind of nightmare did you have, Princess?"

Even Shin Ah and Zeno had scooted closer to listen, looking concerned. Yona smiled at them.

"Well… a few years ago, back when I was still at the palace, I had a dream that Hak had died…"

Kija's expression changed at once.

"Well, such a trivial dream doesn't deserve your concern," he said brightly, patting her on the shoulder. "Just forget about it, Princess."

" _White Snake…"_ growled Hak, releasing Jae Ha, who was on the brink of death throes.

Yona shook her head. "I know… it was only a dream after all."

Yoon cast a wary glance at Hak. It looked as though his soul had departed.

"Thunder Beast, don't leave us now," he said, prodding Hak in the shoulder.

Hak – What is the most romantically heart-throbbing moment of your life?

"It seems like this will take a while," said Jae Ha idly. "The list goes on and on… "

Yona gave a tiny snort. Everyone glanced at her in astonishment.

"Sorry," she said, giggling mildly into her palm. "It's just hard to imagine Hak experiencing a heart-throbbing moment."

Unbeknownst to the Princess, there was a tumultous struggle taking place within Hak. He couldn't see how he could worm his way out of this one.

"Is this the moment of truth?" whispered Jae Ha dramatically. "Will Hak's feelings finally reach – ?"

Hak sank his fist into the Green Dragon's face.

"I forfeit," said the Thunder Beast, sounding as though it took incredible effort to voice out the words.

"Yup," said Yoon promptly; he had been expecting this, after all. "So this makes, what, eight turns now?"

"Hold on a second!" said Yona furiously. "Why does Hak keep backing out of Truths?"

"Princess, that's for me to know and you to find out."

"Oh? So how is it that you can answer me so quickly, but not the question in question?"

" _Oh…_ the Princess made a pun. Let's throw a feast."

" _Hak…"_ The Princess's tone became downright mad. Hak looked pointedly away.

"Alright, fine," he sighed after a while. "You want to know the truth? In reality, all the heart-throbbing moments I've experienced were with you, Princess."

His words had struck everyone dumb.

"Quit playing around!" exclaimed Yona, grabbing the front of Hak's robes. Her face was glowing red.

"What's wrong, Princess? You look like you've swallowed the sun," enquired Hak.

"Don't change the subject! Tell me the truth already!"

"I _have_ told you."

"If that was the truth, then you're nothing but a humungous butthead!"

"Well, that's new."

"Yona, dear, don't let this pervert get to you. His heart throbs at the sight of any woman."

Surprisingly, Yona released Hak. Her eyes were wide with realisation.

"Oh," she said thoughfully. "That's right. Back in Awa, he was visiting all those redlight districts. Yes, it makes sense now… "

Hak looked like he wanted to throttle Jae Ha.

The Green Dragon smirked, giving him a look that plainly said, _You can hate me, but you can't deny I just saved your butt._

Jae Ha – Are you scared of dying? Why?

"Of course I am," said Jae Ha forlornly. "There are so many beautiful women out there whom I have yet to grace with my company. But of course, none of them surpasses you in looks, Yona dear."

"Look out, Princess. You are most likely one of the beautiful women he intends to spend time with," warned Kija.

"Now, now, Kija. Don't give Yona the wrong idea," laughed Jae Ha.

"Listen well, Princess. That is known as a Pervert's Laugh," said Hak airily.

"Aw, come on! Do you guys really think of me like that?"

"We don't think. We know."

"Yona, take a good long look. This is cruelty in its ugliest form."

"You want ugly, look at yourself in the mirror," snapped Hak, his temper rising fast.

Jae Ha gave a theatrical gasp. "You're horrible, Hak! Calling the beautiful Princess ugly… "

Hak grabbed his spear. "One more word and I'll make it so that your own face will be unrecognisable!"

"Actually, I did learn a trick way back when," remarked Zeno suddenly. "First you take a kettle and hammer it. Then you peek at your reflection in the battered metal and… ta-da! You get an unrecognisable face! Hahahahaha!"

"Zeno, please be quiet," scowled Yoon.

Yoon – Sing instead of speaking for three turns.

Yoon sighed.

"See, Yoon? You really shouldn't tell people to be quiet," said Zeno.

Yoon bonked him on the head.

Hak sighed as well. "Finally. Some peace and quiet," he muttered.

Yoon bonked him twice as hard.

"You little brat…" Hak gritted his teeth, massaging the raw spot.

"Liking the taste of your own medicine?" grinned Jae Ha devilishly.

"I'll give you a whole bottleful if you don't shut up!"

Shin Ah – If you could have anyone here in the room to be your slave, who would it be and what would you make them do?

"Slave?" questioned Shin Ah, and although they couldn't see it, the others could imagine him blinking quizzically. "I don't need a slave."

"Ah, Shin Ah! You are indeed a fine and upstanding young man!" beamed Jae Ha, clapping the Blue Dragon on the back. "It must show in your eyes, too! Give us a look!"

"No!" Shin Ah held on to his mask as Jae Ha tried his best to tug it off.

"It'll just be a quick one. You won't even have time to stop our hearts. Come on!"

"No! Stop!"

"Jae Ha, stop finding excuses to pick on poor Shin Ah!" berated Kija, jumping up to pull the Green Dragon back.

Yoon rolled his eyes, his way of saying, 'What a bother.'

"Will you guys please stop it already?" said Yona exasperatedly. "Look, even Ao is fighting back."

The usually docile squirrel was squeaking reproachfully as she tried to pin down the mask with her tiny paws.

"You know what they say, Princess – fighting your enemies is great, but watching your enemies fight is even greater," smirked Hak.

"HUH? What did you say, you uncouth fiend?!"

Letting go of Shin Ah, Jae Ha smiled and straightened his robes, which had become slightly dishevelled in the struggle. He said, "You know what's greatest in the end? Teaming up to fight a mutual enemy."

Hak's grin widened as he steadied his spear on the ground. He curled his finger invitingly.

"Bring it on!"

And the battle of the century ensued.

Fists were flying everywhere. Shin Ah edged away from the rampage, still gripping his mask as though the wind might blow it away. Zeno laughed and applauded the fight as Yona and Yoon, who were long accustomed to the warriors' antics, brought up the topic of dinner.

Kija – Take off one item of clothing.

"This is an outrage! Me, the White Dragon, stripping in broad daylight?"

"White Snake, you don't have to pretend. We know it's your number one hobby," said Hak carelessly.

"YOU'RE GOING DOWN!"

"Kija, Yoon says enough is enough. You fought to the extent that Hak's- and Jae Ha's clothes are beyond mending," said Zeno cheerfully.

Blushing furiously, Kija decided that it was safest to remove his overcoat.

"Kija, you naughty rascal," tutted Jae Ha. "First you tore our clothes, and now this? Are you implying something?"

He leapt back just as Kija's claws slashed the air where his head had been.

"Oooh, someone's being a bad boy," he chuckled, perching on a tree bough.

Kija tore at the tree in a blur of claws, as though intending to bring the Green Dragon down with it.

"Yoon says this is a pretty interesting dare," said Zeno, reading out the note that Yoon had passed to him. "Let's make this the new penalty."

"Hey, you can't be serious?" demanded Hak.

"Sounds great! Let's go for it!" came Jae Ha's shout.

"YOU BE QUIET!"

Yoon handed the Thunder Beast a note. Blankly, Hak read out, "Don't worry, Thunder Beast. Yona's dare is still unchanged. Even I know my limits."

Jae Ha leaned smugly against the tree trunk. "Hak, just admit it – you badly want to see Yona undress, don't you?"

"Eh?" Yona's mouth fell open. Next second, Hak had snatched up his spear and joined Kija in demolishing the tree.

"Guys, please don't destroy nature for the sake of settling personal scores," said Shin Ah, reading out Yoon's note slowly. Unfortunately, his voice was so quiet that none of the warriors heard him.

"Don't worry, Shin Ah! Zeno will be your voice!"

The Yellow Dragon was about to take the note from Shin Ah when Yoon passed him another one.

 _Zeno, your voice is annoying._

Zeno threw a baby tantrum. " _Waahh!_ You're so mean!"

Zeno – Do a headstand for one minute.

Zeno stopped crying at once.

"Yaayy! Watch me, everyone!" he exclaimed, performing a cartwheel and landing lightly on his hands.

"Oooh! Zeno, you're amazing!" cried Yona, her eyes shining with admiration at the Yellow Dragon's marvellous feat.

With happy squeaks, Ao scampered toward Zeno and climbed all the way up to his boots. At the top, she struck a victory pose.

"Ao is taking it up a notch!" remarked Jae Ha. "Go, Ao!"

"Zeno, what you're doing is a handstand," said Yoon through Yona.

"Gotcha!"

Zeno bent his arms until his head was touching the ground. He remained like this for half a minute, his face growing more and more contorted. Pretty soon, he was wobbling dangerously.

So was Ao.

"Ao, hang in there," encouraged Yona, holding her fists in front of her and watching the squirrel determinedly.

"Ao, don't give up!" called Jae Ha motivatingly.

"I thought this was supposed to be Zeno's dare," said Hak.

At the minute mark, Zeno flopped to the ground.

"Hooray! Three cheers for Zeno and Ao!" exclaimed Yona happily.

Zeno winked and high-fived the squirrel. "We're awesome!"

Yona – Everything you say for the rest of the game has to rhyme.

Hak shook his head mournfully. "This is terrible. The Princess has never shown a shred of talent for poetry."

Yona flew at him furiously. Hak laughed as he resisted her futile punches.

"Puny fists! You have puny fists, Princess!"

"Enough flirting, you two?" said Kija puzzledly, reading out from Yoon's note.

"It's OK, Miss! I'm sure whatever you come up with will sound beautiful!" beamed Zeno, flashing Yona a thumbs-up.

Yona looked like she was thinking very hard.

"Thank you, Zeno," she said at last. "I don't think I'm that good, though."

She smiled a little embarrassedly. It made flowers bloom in everyone's vision.

"Bet that melted your heart," Jae Ha told Hak.

"Don't spoil it, Droopy Eyes," scowled Hak, bashing him on the face.

Hak – Embrace anyone as tightly as you can for thirty seconds.

"And now… on to the grand finale!" announced Jae Ha, with a grandiose sweep of his hands.

"Indeed we are," said Hak, looking mighty fearsome as he advanced on the Green Dragon. "Come here, Droopy Eyes. I want to to squeeze the life out of you."

Laughing excessively, Jae Ha darted behind Yona. "Yona dear, do me a favour and accept Hak's passionate embrace, OK?"

"What's wrong, Droopy Eyes? Feeling the love already?" asked Hak, cracking his knuckles. "Princess, please move aside. I want to show Jae Ha _exactly_ how I feel about him."

Jae Ha was beginning to sweat. "The way you said 'exactly' was a little too extreme, don't you think?"

"Hak, you look a little scary," noted Yona nervously.

"See, Hak? You're scaring poor Yona!"

"Don't worry, Princess. The one I'm after is the rogue hiding behind your back."

Yona looked over her shoulder. "Jae Ha, why don't you step out? It's rare that Hak would actually want to give out hugs."

"Yona dear, you're throwing me to the wolves, you know?"

Hak was only a foot away now. Desperately, Jae Ha turned to Yoon.

"Yoon! Help me out!"

Yoon sighed and scribbled down a note. He passed it to Hak, who read it silently.

 _Thunder Beast, this opportunity may not come again._

Considering it was only a sentence long, it took Hak an awfully long time to read it.

"Hak?" enquired Yona, when he had been standing like a statue for ages.

Wordlessly, Hak looked up. He crumpled up the note, tossed it away, and then embraced Yona.

For the span of thirty seconds, Yona found herself unable to breathe. Not because Hak was squeezing her too tightly, but rather -

Before she knew it, Hak was already releasing her.

"Don't look so retarded," said Hak, flipping away so she couldn't get a look at his face. "What are you waiting for Droopy Eyes? It's your turn."

"Yona, your face is red," remarked Zeno. "Do you have a fever?"

Yona touched her cheeks. They were indeed warm.

"Eh? How strange," she said. Her chest felt rather constricted, too. "It must be from Hak's body heat."

"Hak has a fever?" said Zeno in alarm.

"Sleep talk when you're actually sleeping," said Hak irritably.

Jae Ha nudged Hak in the ribs. "Aw, Hak! You're so transparent!"

Hak swung his spear at him, but whether deliberately or not, Jae Ha crouched down at the last second to draw a slip.

"Well! Guess it's my turn!"

Jae Ha – Which player do you think will never be attached?

Jae Ha rocked back and forth lazily. "It's obvious, isn't it? At the rate he's going, Hak will be facing a life of soli – "

This time, the back of Hak's spear collided with his head.

"Oops – sorry. My hand slipped," said Hak, sounding unconcerned.

"Jae Ha, you actually enjoy this, don't you?" remarked Kija.

Yoon – Get someone to draw a moustache of their liking on your face. You have to keep it for the rest of the game.

"Let's use White Snake's blood," suggested Hak.

"Would you like a permanent moustache?" threatened Kija.

"I have some ink we can use," said Yoon, rummaging in his bag. "Now where did I put it…?"

"Yoon, you don't seem upset," observed Jae Ha. "Is it because you can finally look like a man?"

"Jae Ha, if ink wasn't a precious resource, I would empty the whole pot on you."

"Zeno will draw! Zeno will draw!" cried the Yellow Dragon, bouncing up and down enthusiastically. "Zeno wants to draw!"

"Know how to make it more exciting, Zeno?" said Jae Ha mischievously. "Do it with your eyes closed."

"Jae Ha, you can do your own cooking from now on."

"Oh, come on, Yoon! You know how much I admire your cooking."

"Flattery doesn't work on me."

"Your ears have expanded," pointed out Kija.

"Silence, you!" shouted Yoon, rounding on Kija furiously.

Armed with a brush and an inkpot, Zeno scrutinised Yoon's face for a while, trying to determine the best angle. Then he got down to work.

A few minutes passed before Zeno declared, "Mission accomplished!"

Everyone crowded closer. Yoon was sporting a fine handlebar moustache.

"How is it?" asked Yoon, turning to Hak and wrinkling his nose.

Hak stared at him impassively. "Who are you?"

The answer he got was a big smack on the head.

"Good work, Zeno! Yoon looks like a mature grown-up!" beamed Yona.

Yoon flashed a victory sign as Zeno folded his arms importantly. "I should do this for a living."

"Zeno, you should learn some modesty first," advised Kija.


	7. Chapter 7

Shin Ah – Wear a funny hat on your head for the rest of the game.

"He kind of already is," remarked Yoon.

Shin Ah's mouth fell open.

"Yoon, you've upset him," scolded Zeno. "Don't worry, Shin Ah. Your fur piece and mask combination might look a little freaky, but it's just a matter of getting used to."

"Subtle criticism. Me approves," said Jae Ha, with a respectful nod.

"You people have no honour… " scowled Kija. "Shin Ah, paid no heed to these frisky beasts!"

"Says the guy with a dragon hand," said Hak.

"Kija, this is no time to be giving free haircuts," called Jae Ha, when Hak dodged Kija's attack and got the tips of his hair sliced off.

Hak grinned and ran a hand through his black locks.

"Thanks. I appreciate it."

Kija glared at him furiously. "YOU FIEND! COME BACK AND FIGHT LIKE A MAN!"

"When you've made up your mind about what kind of creature I am," said Hak, who had stretched out on a thick bough and was now examining his fingernails idly.

"Kija, we've got enough firewood already," said Yoon exasperatedly, when Kija raked at the tree in a whirlwind of claws, taking out strips of bark in the process.

"Jae Ha! Give me a boost up!" demanded the White Dragon.

"Right-o!" said Jae Ha breezily. He lifted Kija in his arms and pushed off, taking them way past the tallest of the trees.

"STOP! WE'RE TOO FAR UP!"

Kija's indignant screech was quickly lost as the Dragons disappeared into the heavens.

Zeno shielded his eyes against the glare of the sun.

"Wow!" he exclaimed in amazement. "This must be a record!"

Meanwhile, Hak was laughing so hard he nearly rolled off the bough.

Yoon sighed heavily. "This is why I worry half the time."

"It's alright! They're just being their usual lively selves," said Yona assuringly. "I'd be more worried if they were moody and subdued."

"How long are they going to stay up there?" wondered Yoon, squinting up at the clouds.

"Shin Ah, what are you doing?" asked Yona. Shin Ah was looking around as if he'd lost something.

With a happy squeak, Ao peeked out from behind the Blue Dragon.

Upon sighting her, Shin Ah scooped up the squirrel and placed her on his head.

"A funny hat," he said, in way of explanation.

"Wow!" exclaimed Yona.

"Why are you so impressed?" asked Yoon exasperatedly.

Kija – Pretend you're underwater for thirty seconds.

When Yoon read out Kija's slip, Hak burst out laughing again.

"Wait 'til White Snake sees this!" he gasped, hammering the bough in his mirth.

"Where _are_ they? It's been ages!" exclaimed Yoon, scanning the area with squinty eyes. "They couldn't have run into some kind of trouble, could they?"

"Shin Ah, do you see them anywhere?" enquired Yona.

There was a yell, and Hak dropped down all of a sudden. Kija was standing on the bough that he had just vacated, looking infuriated. His pale hair was also decorated with leaves and twigs.

"Did you think I couldn't guess what you were up to?" drawled Hak, staring up at the White Dragon and twirling his spear smugly. "Making use of your disappearance to plot an ambush… naughty, naughty."

Kija looked ready to blow up. Jae Ha, who was perched on the neighbouring bough, gracefully swept bits of foliage out of his hair.

"Sorry for the wait. We landed a little farther than expected," he smiled.

Kija rounded on the Green Dragon. "And whose fault was it?!"

"Kija, you're next," said Yoon.

Seething, the White Dragon stomped back to his spot.

"Pretend you're underwater for thirty seconds?" Jae Ha threw his head back and laughed for all he was worth. "Not bad, Kija! You get to experience both ends of the deep blue!"

Kija shoved the slip into Jae Ha's open mouth.

"DON'T!" Yoon leapt forward to rescue the slip. '"Will all of you stop treating these as food already?!"

"This is ridiculous. How on earth am I supposed to know what being underwater is like?" demanded Kija grumpily.

"Didn't you experience it once, Kija?" reminded Yona. "Remember, when Ao fell into a river and Shin Ah dove in to save her?"

"And how you idiotically jumped in after them despite not knowing how to swim?" added Jae Ha wryly.

Kija flushed. The memory was still vivid in his mind.

The White Dragon pushed back his fringe self-consciously. "So… I simply have to re-enact what I did last time, right?" he muttered.

"I have a better idea," said Hak. "Remember the fish Shin Ah caught for you the first time we met? Just copy what it did."

"Do you take me for an idiot?" scowled Kija.

"No. I take you for the biggest moron in the world."

"Kija, just get on with it," ordered Yoon irritably, as fire blazed from the White Dragon's eyes.

"It's OK, Kija! Just do what I do!" beamed Zeno. The Yellow Dragon flopped onto his belly and wriggled happily.

"What's that supposed to be?" questioned Jae Ha. "Looks like a good show of stomach cramps."

"It's a swimming technique," declared Zeno proudly.

"More like a drowning technique," observed Hak.

"No thanks, Zeno. Your last demonstration about quietening my stomach didn't help either," said Kija in exasperation.

"Kija, you know you're going to have to start sooner or later," said Yoon.

Blushing furiously, Kija raised his arms and made swimming gestures in the air.

Hak bowed his head, shoulders shaking. The corners of Jae Ha's mouth twitched.

"SILENCE!" screeched Kija.

Zeno – How far have you gone?

Yona and Shin Ah cocked their heads in puzzlement. Yoon, Hak, Kija and Jae Ha wore rigid expressions.

Zeno was stunned, too, but not in the way that they were.

"Zeno cannot possibly recall how far he has walked in the last two thousand years!" he exclaimed.

Yoon cuffed Zeno on the head. "That's not it! The biggest moron in the world isn't Kija, but you! You!"

Jae Ha couldn't hold in his laughter now.

"Zeno… are you honestly as old as you claim to be?" he chortled.

"He's not wrong, actually," said Hak. "It's our freedom to interpret the question however we want."

"You mean there's another meaning behind it?" asked Yona, surprised.

Hak sighed. "Yes, Princess. There's another meaning behind it, but it's not something you need to know."

"Don't be so restrictive, Hak," scolded Jae Ha. "If Yona plans to rule the kingdom, she has to get a headstart on social affairs."

"How is this a social affair?!"

"I have an excellent idea," said Yoon. "Let's have Yona draw a slip so we can continue the game."

Yona – If I was a food, what would I be and how would you eat me?

"What an eccentric question," commented Yona. Hak and Yoon were looking thunderstruck.

"Yona dear, would you like to hear my answer?" asked Jae Ha warmly.

"Gag him!" cried Yoon.

"Don't worry. I'll silence him permanently," said Hak darkly, jabbing the end of his spear at Jae Ha's neck.

The Green Dragon put up his hands in surrender.

"Take it easy!" he laughed. "I was obviously joking."

"You're obviously a joke," retorted Hak.

Kija was frowning.

"I don't understand. How can someone be a food?" he asked. And then his eyes widened in realisation. "Could it be… cannibalism?!"

Shin Ah stiffened, his way of expressing horror. Even Ao looked scared.

"Kija, I sometimes wonder how gloriously simplistic your mind can be," said Yoon dryly.

"Hak, I can see a number of perverted thoughts floating through your mind right now," grinned Jae Ha. " _Ow!_ Take it easy!"

"So I guess everyone has to take turns answering the question?" said Yona delightedly. "How lucky!"

 _How can anyone be so infuriatingly naïve?_ thought Hak exhaustedly.

"We don't need everybody to answer it," said Yoon, with a nervous smile. "Shin Ah, why don't you be our representative?"

Shin Ah shook his head profusely.

Yoon grimaced. He needed anyone but Jae Ha to give an answer, but if Shin Ah was unwilling, the next candidate could only be…

He turned hopefully to the Yellow Dragon.

"What about you, Zeno?"

Zeno shrugged and said brightly, "Zeno has no idea what the question means."

" _Liar!_ You're just trying to shift the responsibility!"

"White Snake, why don't you enlighten us?" suggested Hak.

Kija drew back, aghast. "I do not partake in human flesh, let alone the Princess's!"

"It doesn't have to involve cannibalism!" screeched Yoon.

"I refuse! Let's just go with Jae Ha's since he is being so accommodating!"

"It's OK, guys. I wouldn't make much of a delicacy anyway," said Yona, waving her hand and giving a carefree sort of laugh.

A deathly silence fell.

Jae Ha took advantage of the atmosphere to say his piece.

"Yona dear, remember the sugar candy we had the other day – ?"

"TAKE HIM DOWN!"

As Hak, Kija and Jae Ha engaged in an explosive tussle, Zeno finally chose to voice out his opinion.

"If Miss was a food, she would be an onion," he said sunnily. "Because cutting her up would make Zeno cry, so if Zeno can't cut her up, Zeno won't be able to eat her."

Hak and Kija halted in mid-fight. Another long silence fell.

Yona beamed at Zeno.

"Thank you, Zeno. That was really sweet," she said warmly. Her smile seemed to give her entire being a seraphic glow.

Kija grabbed his head in silent frustration. _Why didn't I think of that?_

Hak – If you could have anyone here be your slave, who would it be and what would you make them do?

"Droopy Eyes," said Hak, not surprisingly.

Jae Ha grinned. "I'm flattered, Hak."

Hak ignored him. "But I won't stop there. I'll order Droopy Eyes to make White Snake his slave so that they'll both be under my command."

"Is that even legal?" questioned Yoon dryly, but Jae Ha nodded as if Hak had said something meaningful.

"I see. And after that, you'll order Kija to make Yona his slave so that you can do lewd things to h – "

"On second thought, a corpse is all I'll need," growled Hak, burying the Green Dragon's head with his boot.

"Ouch! It hurts, Hak…!"

"Then what is that creepy smile on your face?"

"Thunder Beast, let him off already," said Yoon exasperatedly.

Jae Ha – Run around screaming like a lunatic until someone tells you to stop.

"But I've just been beaten half to death by Hak and Kija… " he whined piteously.

"Do it," said Hak ominously. "Or I'll take care of the other half."

"Don't be mean, Hak. Let Jae Ha recover his strength," chided Yona.

"Thunder Beast, don't get so depressed," said Yoon, upon catching sight of Hak's shocked expression.

"I think Jae Ha has already sent Hak to the other side more than Hak has done for him," said Zeno cheerfully.

"Zeno, don't say that now. Your turn might come next," warned Kija.

Yoon – What do you wear to bed?

"Whatever I happen to be wearing," answered Yoon frankly.

Yona was puzzled. "But Yoon, don't you sometimes put on a spare robe if the night gets too cold?" she questioned.

"Huh? Don't you have a blanket for that?" asked Kija.

Yoon had turned red. "Yeah… " he said embarrassedly. "But sometimes the blanket gets pulled around."

"Oh, I get it," said Hak. "You're afraid the Princess will get cold."

He had hit the mark.

"It's nothing like that!" growled Yoon, although the colour of his face had deepened. "I just feel more comfortable in a robe than a blanket!"

"Then why don't you make another one?" suggested Zeno.

"As if there isn't enough laundry to get on with!" seethed Yoon.

"Then Zeno will help!" exclaimed the Yellow Dragon happily.

"The only thing you helped to do was rip holes in our clothes! I had to spend three days mending them! It tore holes in _my_ hands!"

Zeno laughed and rubbed the back of his head apologetically. "Ha ha ha! Sorry, sorry. Zeno just wanted to get it done quickly!"

"Anyway, that's my answer," said Yoon, folding his arms aloofly. "Shin Ah, you're up."

Shin Ah – Run around imitating a monkey until someone says you can stop.

Abidingly, Shin Ah got to his feet. He tried to run around, but each time he did so, Ao would tumble off his head.

Ao chomped on Shin Ah's fur piece, but only managed to hang on for three seconds before she was flung off.

On Shin Ah's twelfth attempt, Yoon brought him short.

"Shin Ah, I think you can stop now."

"Saved by the squirrel," remarked Jae Ha, stretching his legs lazily.

"Well, Droopy Eyes, it seems you're well enough to execute your dare now," said Hak.

Jae Ha gave a zealous laugh. "That's right! How could I forget?"

"It's a mystery, alright," said Hak dryly.

Jae Ha put on an exaggerated thinking expression. "Let me see… what was it again? Oh yes! I have to run around screaming like a lunatic for five seconds, right?"

"I thought you have to do it until someone tells you to stop," said Yona.

Jae Ha slumped onto all fours.

"Yona dear… do you have to sabotage me?" he laughed tearfully.

"Good work, Princess," said Hak smugly, patting Yona on the head. "Of course, I will be the one to give the command. Or to be more precise, I will be the one _not_ to give the command." The corners of his mouth curled up even higher.

"Thunder Beast, you have that maniacal glint in your eyes again," said Yoon nervously.

"Get on with it, Droopy Eyes," ordered Hak.

Jae Ha straightened up, a confident smile slapped back on his face.

"Very well, my dear Hak."

For the next few minutes, the Green Dragon whizzed around the place, yelling at the top of his lungs. Hak was highly entertained, but after a while the amusement began to wear off.

"We're going to attract bandits at this rate," winced Yoon, fingers crammed in his ears.

Hak had no choice but to agree.

"Droopy Eyes, that's enough," he shouted. "Oi! DROOPY EYES!"

Hak wound up chasing after Jae Ha, who had either gone deaf or had transitioned into a real lunatic.

Suddenly, Jae Ha looked over his shoulder and grinned.

"Sorry, Hak! I'm a lunatic so I can't understand what you're saying!"

"You – !" Flames sprang up in Hak's eyes, and he accelerated until both he and Jae Ha were no more than two blurs skimming around the forest.

But Hak was no match for Jae Ha's Dragon leg. Ultimately, Jae Ha alighted on a low-hanging bough and watched Hak's stooped figure. The Thunder Beast was clearly at the end of his strength.

"Not bad, huh?" grinned the Green Dragon, swinging his ponytail idly. "Want to go another round?"

He dodged Hak's spear, laughing. Giving it up, the Thunder Beast stumped back to his place.

"I thought something like this would happen," sighed Yoon.

"Welll… Hak _is_ the first man to have chased after me so passionately," smirked Jae Ha.

"Are you OK, Hak?" asked Yona with concern.

"Yona dear, would you like to know a secret way to rejuvenate tired men?"

"Droopy Eyes, don't you dare," glowered Hak.

"What is it?" asked Yona at once. "If it can help Hak, I want to know."

"Well, they say a little love goes a long way - "

"Did they tell you the same goes for violence?" growled Hak.

"Enough, you two," snapped Yoon. "Jae Ha, stop giving Yona the wrong idea."

"OK, OK. We all yield to the handsome genius," said Jae Ha endearingly.

...

RosePetals55 (review) - Noted! Sounds like an interesting idea, I'll give it a shot :)


	8. Chapter 8

Yoon – Pretend to be hopelessly in love with the person to your right until it's your turn again.

With a poker face, Yoon turned very slowly toward said person.

"Well, hello darlin'," cooed Jae Ha.

Yonon was utterly horrified.

"OBJECTION!" he shouted. "I absolutely refuse to put up an enamoured act before this green-haired pervert!"

"Then I guess it's time to strip," grinned Jae Ha.

Yoon grabbed his shoulders with a shudder. He would rather be eaten by fire ants than expose his nakedness to the public.

"Yoon, hang in there," said Hak.

"Don't give up!" added Yona.

"Yoon, all you have to do is remove your cloak," pointed out Kija.

Yoon blinked several times.

"Oh… that's right," he said.

Jae Ha sighed disappointedly. _"Bo-ring."_

There was suddenly a great deal of rattling and clacking.

The Happy Hungry Bunch looked up to find a carriage parking in the middle of the dirt path. As they watched, the door opened, and a familiar figure emerged, waving cheerily.

"Lilli!" cried Yona in delight. "What a lovely surprise!"

"Hey guys!" beamed Lilli affably. "We're staying in the nearby town. One of my servants passed you by some time ago and he told us you were playing an interesting game."

"So you're here to join us?" smiled Jae Ha.

"Who do mean by 'us'?" questioned Hak.

Two more figures stepped out of the door. One of them was a young man with light taupe hair. He escorted the third arrival, a mysterious lady with a shawl covering all but her eyes, down the carriage steps.

"Isn't that Prince Tae Jun?" said Yoon in surprise. "What's he doing with Lilli?"

Tae Jun's face lit up at the sight of Yona.

"Princess! It's such an honour to see you again!" he said joyfully.

Hak was not at all pleased.

"What in hell's name is he doing here?" he growled.

"We're serving M'Lady as her bodyguards," explained Lilli happily. "She'll staying in town for a few days. When she heard about the game, she became curious and requested to see it herself."

M'Lady settled down primly beside Yona. Tae Jun took the spot furthest away from Hak, while Lilli sat herself down between Zeno and M'Lady.

Hak stared blatantly at the mysterious newcomer.

"Hak, avert your eyes," Yona told him off.

It was hard to tell, but M'Lady seemed to smile. At least, her eyes had grown more crinkled.

"It's alright to be curious. Amongst my people, there is a tradition for the royal ladies not to reveal their faces until the day of their marriage," she explained. There was a pleasant, if slightly husky, quality to her voice. Everybody could envision a lovely visage behind the many layers of shawl.

But Hak didn't back down.

"What's your name?" he asked point-blank.

"Hak! You're being rude," frowned Yona.

"As much as I would love to tell you, due to safety reasons, I am unable to disclose my name," answered M'Lady calmly. "Nor can I divulge the location of my homeland, while we are on the subject."

"You guys are escorting this kind of woman?" demanded Hak.

Lilli and Tae Jun looked nervous.

"The only ones who are privy to M'Lady's personal information are those under her employ," said Lilli.

It was somewhat reasonable, but the whole business smelled fishy to Hak. Eyes still narrowed in suspicion, the Thunder Beast's attention moved to Tae Jun.

"Weren't you supposed to be in Katan Village?" he asked the Prince.

"M'Lady's safety takes precedence," said Tae Jun defensively. "When she called upon the village, she requested that I be her personal bodyguard. It's an honour to oversee the life of a distinguished foreign noble. Besides, I left Soo Jin in charge. The village is in good hands."

"And I happened to be in the next town that they visited. My father told me it would bring great value to my tribe to assist the highborn daughter of… where she came from," added Lilli.

"Anyway, why don't we begin?" said Tae Jun. "I've never played this sort of game before. It seems pretty interesting."

"It does," agreed M'Lady slyly.

Once Yoon had finished explaining the rules to the visitors, the game was picked up where they had left off.

Shin Ah – After everything you say, add "Whoa ... I'm good!" for the rest of the game.

"I don't think Shin Ah understands the dare," said Jae Ha.

Shin Ah shook his head in protest.

"I do," he said. There was a pause before he remembered to add, "Whoa… I'm good."

"Jae Ha, you did that on purpose," said Yoon.

Jae Ha was laughing his head off.

"Shin Ah is the best!" beamed Zeno. "Even a cocky phrase like 'Whoa… I'm good' sounds innocent coming from his mouth!"

Jae Ha stopped laughing at once.

"And just who are you using as a comparison?" he questioned.

Tae Jun – Take off one item of clothing.

Tae Jun turned as red as a beetroot.

"What is this?!" he demanded flusteredly. "Isn't this supposed to be the penalty?"

"Yeah, I forgot to mention… I actually based the penalty off of that slip," described Yoon. "Sorry. It's your loss."

Tae Jun was flabbergasted. _Is that supposed to be an apology?_

Left with no options, the Fire Prince unclasped his maroon cape. All he had on now was a single, dark brown robe.

"For the Princess's sake, I hope you'll be keeping that on," said Hak.

"You don't have to tell me! I'm praying for it harder than any of you," exclaimed Tae Jun.

Kija – You are now the servant of three people to your right.

"Three people to my right?" Kija turned inquisitively to find that said people were Tae Jun, Shin Ah and Yoon.

 _The Princess is watching,_ thought Tae Jun, noticing the Princess's gaze. This was his chance to make a good impression.

"No thank you. I have no need for a servant such as you," the Prince told Kija in what he assumed was a cool, dignified voice.

The White Dragon became highly affronted.

"What? Are you saying I'm useless?"

Tae Jun was startled. "No, that's not what I – "

He stopped short; Yona was looking at him disapprovingly. It was like a knife-stab to his heart.

Tears streamed down Tae Jun's face. _What have I done? The Princess hates me now!_

Kija looked extremely taken aback.

"Huh? Wh-why are you crying?" he demanded in shock.

Tae Jun took a few big sniffs.

"I only meant… there is no need for you to be my servant," he said unhappily.

"Ah… " Feeling wrong-footed, Kija said embarrassedly, "I'm sorry, I didn't understand. Would – would you please stop crying?"

"Seriously… I never thought the son of General Kan would be so delicate," fretted Lilli, passing Tae Jun a frilled hanky while Shin Ah patted the Prince on the back.

"I grew up poor, so having a servant isn't all bad," said Yoon. "Alright, Kija – your first order as my slave is to fan me."

Peeved, Kija scooted over to Yoon's side and began fanning him with a paper fan

"The handsome genius is living it," remarked Jae Ha.

"Way to go, Yoon!" cheered Zeno.

"Why are you encouraging him?" demanded Kija.

Zeno – What were your first impressions of me?

Zeno looked expectantly around at the company.

"Princesses first," Hak said to Yona.

The Princess thought for a moment.

"A hungry weirdo!" she said at last.

A crack appeared on Zeno's smile.

"Hungry… weirdo?" he repeated blankly.

"Oh right," said Hak. "I was casting around for a suitable description, but you've nailed it, Princess. A hungry weirdo indeed."

"A hungry weirdo it is," smiled Jae Ha.

"I'll have to agree," said Yoon.

"Yellow Dragon," said Shin Ah. "Whoa… I'm good."

"Yellow Dragon," nodded Kija.

"Happy-go-lucky," said Tae Jun.

"Happy-go-lucky," said Lilli.

"Surprise," said M'Lady.

"'Surprise'?" repeated Yona.

"It's hard to explain," said M'Lady apologetically.

Zeno was unsure if he was being made fun of, but he brightened up almost immediately.

"Well, you know what they say! First impressions can be buried!"

M'Lady – How far have you gone?

All eyes were on M'Lady.

"Well… " she said thoughtfully. "Such a daring question – however shall I answer it?"

"Candidly?" suggested Lilli.

Tae Jun looked uneasy. "Your Lady – I mean, M'Lady. You're not telling us you've actually reached that point?"

"Of course not!" laughed M'Lady.

"M'Lady is a pure woman," said Zeno brightly. "Am I right, M'Lady?"

"Indeed," smiled M'Lady.

"Why are you two acting so creepy?" asked Hak suspiciously.

"We're not!" objected Zeno cheerfully. "Hak, you're imagining things again."

"Again? And when was there a first time?"

"Sh! Yona is reading her slip," chided Yoon.

Yona – What would you do if you were invisible for a day?

"Let's see… maybe I'll stalk Hak for a change," was the Princess's frank answer.

Even Jae Ha looked shocked. On the other hand, Hak was grinning from ear to ear.

"I never knew you had such a deep interest in my affairs, Princess," he said. "Who's the stalker now?"

M'Lady seemed to be extremely amused.

"The Princess called you a stalker? Interesting."

"Huh?" Hak looked annoyed. "What's it to you?"

"I simply never took you for such a man."

"Yona dear, it's unlike you to say such things," said Jae Ha. "Why would you want to stalk a stalker?"

Yona's face was straight as she replied, "Because I want to know if he really has been visiting red-light districts."

M'Lady laughed into her hand.

"Pfft! You visited _red-light districts?_ "

Hak was outraged.

"NO! I mean, yes! But it's not what you think!"

"Hak, you naughty man," scolded Jae Ha disapprovingly. "And here I thought I was the only one."

"YOU'VE GOT GUTS SAYING THAT, DROOPY EYES!" yelled Hak, grabbing Jae Ha by the front of his robes.

"Hak, you have such an unexpected side to you," tutted M'Lady, but she had the same glint in her eyes as Jae Ha.

"You know, I wonder if Jae Ha and M'Lady share the same blood," Kija told Shin Ah confidentially.

Shin Ah tilted his head puzzledly. "Blood…?"

"Oh, sorry!" Kija grabbed Shin Ah's shoulders anxiously. "Quick! You have to uphold your dare!"

"Whoa… I'm good," said Shin Ah hurriedly.

"What are you two doing?" asked Yoon in confusion.

Hak – Everything you say has to start with, "From the first time I met you, it was love at first sight."

"HAHAHA! What a corny line!" gasped Jae Ha, cracking up uncontrollably.

Hak badly wanted to retaliate, but he forced himself to ignore the Green Dragon.

"Don't look so glum, Hak," said Yona. "Look on the bright side! It's a good chance to practise for your first confession."

"Yona, don't say anymore," advised Yoon. "Hak looks like he's already out of this world."

Jae Ha - Sing a song and complete it with actions.

Hak's triumphant smirk was back.

Jae Ha stood up, wagging a finger.

"Don't count your chickens before they hatch, Hak. For your information, I happen to be an excellent songster."

"Let's see it!" exclaimed Zeno. Yona and Lilli clapped enthusiastically.

Jae Ha cleared his throat. He held up his arms and fluttered them gracefully.

"Little Butterfly, your wings are wide,

Yes they are, and pretty too,

Little Butterfly, who do you love?

Well you see, it is my mother that I love."

Hak's shoulders were shaking. The others didn't quite know how to react.

"Isn't that a childhood song?" questioned Lilli, as Jae Ha bowed and took his seat.

"Well," said Yoon in exasperation. "it'll be sure to wow the children."

Yoon - Your lover has been magically transformed into an animal, and the only way to restore your lover is to mate with them. Here's the question: Which animal would cause you the least psychological damage?

Yoon stopped reading out the slip right before the word 'mate'.

"What's wrong?" asked Yona, as the young genius remained frozen, his eyes popping.

"Is it another censored question?" Jae Ha made to take the slip, but Yoon hastily covered it with his fist.

Jae Ha's grin widened.

" _Oh…_ so it is," he said mischievously. "Well, well, _well._ "

Hak went over to Yoon.

"From the first time I met you, it was love at first sight," he said. "Let me see it."

Hak read the slip without a change in his expression.

"From the first time I met you, it was love at first sight," he said, giving the slip back to Yoon. "You're on your own."

"WHAT? I thought you were going to help!"

"From the first time I met you, it was love at first sight. It's nothing the Princess doesn't know."

" _I'm not talking about the Princess!"_

"What does it say?" inquired Lilli.

Hak repeated the question out loud.

Kija paled. Shin Ah went completely still. Yona, Lilli and Tae Jun had turned bright red.

Jae Ha looked as though he'd been given a rare treat.

"Well," he said, looking around at the group. "This is the day that everyone grows up for real!"

"What sort of logic is that?" demanded Yoon.

"So what's your answer, Yoon?" grinned Jae Ha. "I'm awfully curious to hear it."

M'Lady got to her feet. Everyone watched as she made way toward Yoon and whispered something in his ear.

Yoon's face brightened at once.

"Spectacular!" he said. "Thank you, M'Lady!"

"What's going on?" said Tae Jun.

Yoon was no longer agitated. Smiling gleefully, he said, "Listen up, everyone! My answer is: a human!"

When they continued to look blank, Yoon went on to explain, "Strictly speaking, humans are animals too. So it's not wrong to say that the animal that would give me the least psychological damage would be a human!"

Everyone's faces cleared.

"Amazing!" cried Yona, clapping her hands together. "I never would have thought of it!"

"M'Lady is a genius!" said Kija.

"That was unexpected," grinned Jae Ha. "My compliments to the Lady."

M'Lady bowed her head humbly. Hak stared at her.

Yona couldn't help noticing that her childhood friend's gaze kept drifting over to M'Lady. A strange thought occurred to her.

 _Maybe he likes her?_

Something pierced her chest. Yona looked down, wondering what it could be. But there was nothing there.

"What's wrong, Yona?" asked Lilli with concern. "Why are you looking at your gown?"

Yona shook her head, still feeling rather confused.

"It's nothing," she said. Perhaps her vest had shrunk from the last wash.

 _Or maybe I really have gained weight,_ she thought in horror. She had better make it a point to stop asking for seconds.

...

Credits to NeKoRyuuKo & brother for the T/D ideas! :)


	9. Chapter 9

Shin Ah – Which three people are on your survival team for the apocalypse?

"Ao," said Shin Ah. "Whoa, I'm good."

"What?" said Yoon, as Ao gave a happy squeak and rubbed her cheek against Shin Ah's hand. "Wouldn't Ao have the slimmest chance of surviving?"

"But Ao is incredibly helpful," beamed Yona. "She chewed through our ropes during the siege in Awa and set us free. And she was Shin Ah's only friend before we met up. If not for her, his life would have been even more miserable. Right, Ao?"

Ao squeaked in agreement.

"From the first time I met you, it was love at first sight," nodded Hak. "I get where you're coming from, Shin Ah."

"And who would be the other two?" asked Yoon.

"Yona and Lilli. Whoa, I'm good."

"Shin Ah, is this really a survival team or are you just choosing people you want to save the most?" asked Yoon dryly.

Jae Ha laughed airily. "I see… so it's OK for the rest of us to die, huh?"

"I would gladly die for the Princess!" declared Kija.

"So would Zeno!" exclaimed the Yellow Dragon.

"And I!" interjected Lilli fiercely.

"And I!" said Tae Jun passionately.

"It doesn't mean much coming from you, you know," Kija told Zeno.

Yona smiled warmly. "Thank you, everyone. I wish it wouldn't come to that, though. I wouldn't want any of you to die. You're all very important to me."

Tae Jun was in tears again. So was Kija.

"Princess… " they said, voices overflowing with happiness.

"Hak, why aren't you saying anything?" demanded Lilli. "You would gladly die for Yona, too, wouldn't you?"

"From the first time I met you, it was love at first sight," said Hak wearily. "This is exactly why I didn't speak up. Besides, I believe that actions speak louder than words."

"Liar," accused Kija.

" _Liar?"_ Hak was nettled. He removed his overcoat and tossed it down, thereby untethering himself from his dare. "Who do think risked his life the most to save the Princess's life? Not to mention the closest brush we had was when that Fire Tribe Prince tyrant dropped me and the Princess off the edge of a cliff!"

"He did what?" gasped Lilli. "Tae Jun, you brute!"

"H-hey! That's all in the past now!"

"It's OK. We forgave him long ago," said Yona quickly.

"That's right, Hak. There is no need to bring up ghosts from the past," said M'Lady.

"What does this have to do with you?"

"Hak!" said Tae Jun indignantly. "You're being disrespectful to the Lady."

"Oh, no. It's quite alright," smiled M'Lady. "The man is right – it is not my business to intrude."

Hak frowned hard. Something about this strange woman prickled him. It would be poor testimony to his years of honed insight to trust someone who was so secretive.

"Tae Jun, you're up," reminded Yoon.

Tae Jun jumped. Praying it wouldn't be another take-off-your-clothes dare, he reached for a slip.

Tae Jun – The group elects a person. You are to close your eyes and guess who it is by touching their face. Guess wrong and you have to pick another slip.

"What? How am I supposed to know who it is simply by touching their face?" demanded Tae Jun.

"That's the fun of this game, _Your Highness,_ " said Hak smugly. "Your next loss will mean taking off your robe, so don't think of worming your way out of this one."

Tae Jun paled. "Fine! I'll do it!"

The others huddled together.

"So who will it be?" whispered Lilli. "We should choose someone he isn't familiar with."

"Shin Ah," suggested Jae Ha. "Tae Jun will never guess it's him."

"Are you sure it's not because you want to bully him?"

"Ha ha ha! 'Bully' is a strong word, you know…"

"It definitely won't be the Princess," said Hak.

"How about you, Thunder Beast?" asked Yoon.

"I'll cut off his hands before they get anywhere near me," said Hak ominously. Then he narrowed his eyes. "On second thought, it would be a brilliant excuse."

"Easy now, Hak."

"Did you just volunteer yourself, Droopy Eyes?"

Jae Ha laughed breezily. "Oh, Hak! Your sense of humour never disappoints."

"We'll decide with chance," said Yoon with finality. "Ready, everyone? On the count of three, put out your hands. One, two, three!"

Moments later, a blindfold was secured over Tae Jun's eyes. Nervously, he reached out to feel the mystery person's face.

One of his fingers poked something squishy.

"OW!" yelled the person.

"Sorry!" the Prince began to apologise, but next second, fingers closed around his throat.

"YOU'VE GOT PLENTY OF GUTS, YOUR HIGHNESS. SHOULD I SPILL SOME OF THEM OUT FOR YOU?"

Kija and Jae Ha dove forward to pry a livid Hak off of Tae Jun, who was steadily turning blue.

"Trust Hak to be the unlucky one," sighed Lilli. "This is why we shouldn't have made him go, Yoon."

"Well, I didn't predict that such a thing would happen…" said Yoon uneasily, as Zeno leapt happily into the fray.

"Zeno! Just because you're immortal doesn't mean you can play around!" screeched Kija.

Yona gave M'Lady an anxious smile. "My apologies, M'Lady. They might fight a lot, but deep down they truly respect each other."

M'Lady smiled back kindly. "There is no need to apologise, Princess. Some people fight to show their affection."

Yona laughed. "You're right. Oh?"

The Princess had furrowed her brows.

"Your eyes… " she said, gazing closely at M'Lady. "There's something strange about them… "

Suddenly, Lilli threw herself between Yona and M'Lady.

"Oh M'Lady! Yhe sun has been shining on your frail eyes all day! Wear this for your protection!"

And she promptly thrust an eye veil over M'Lady's face.

Yona blinked.

"Why, I didn't know you were so sensitive to the sun, M'Lady," she said in surprise.

"It's an unhappy affliction," said Lilli, clasping her hands sympathetically.

M'Lady frowned, clutching the veil with her forefinger and thumb.

"I already told you there is no need for this, Lilli."

"But M'Lady… " said Lilli urgently.

"It's stifling. Are you perhaps trying to suffocate me?"

"M'Lady, you are the one who wanted to venture _outdoors,_ " hissed Lilly. Then she caught sight of Yona's face. Quick as a wink, the smile was back on her face. "I mean, it's for your own protection, M'Lady. Please understand your servant's concern."

M'Lady sighed. "Very well."

The rest of the group had returned. Hak's eye was still slightly red.

"M'Lady, I thought you were against wearing your veil," said Tae Jun, frowning at M'Lady's appearance.

Lilli glared at him. The Prince flinched.

"Uh, I mean, that's right! Your eyes are sensitive to sunlight! How could I forget?"

Hak's attention had shifted back to M'Lady.

"Your eyes are sensitive to sunlight?"

"M'Lady is a fragile woman," said Lilli sadly.

"Hm… " Hak stared hard at M'Lady.

Yona felt another stabbing pain in her chest. She clutched her gown worriedly.

"Hak, why do you keep staring at the noble lady?" questioned Jae Ha. "Are you smitten with her?"

The stabbing pains increased. Yona looked from Hak to Jae Ha anxiously.

"Stop spouting nonsense," said Hak grumpily.

Kija was shocked. "Is it true? Are you smitten, Hak?"

Zeno was shocked, too. "Are you smitten with M'Lady? Are you?"

"I told you I'm not!''

M'Lady laughed delicately. "Don't worry, Hak. You are not the first man to be charmed by my beauty."

" _I am not smitten!"_

"Can we please get on with the game?" said Yoon with much exasperation. "And Thunder Beast, don't get so worked up. They're just teasing you."

So it was only a joke. Yona looked relieved.

"On second thought," said Hak suddenly, "I am smitten after all."

Yona's heart fell. The rest of the group looked as though a blizzard had swept through them.

"So," said Hak, fixing M'Lady with a rigid stare, "tell me more about yourself."

M'Lady blinked.

"What's wrong?" asked Hak. His eyes were practically boring into M'Lady's. "It's only natural for me to want to know more about the woman I like."

M'Lady's voice was composed as she said, "I have already established the reasons behind my anonymity – "

"It's not your details I need. I want another look at your eyes."

 _I've been thinking about it for a while, but those eyes seemed familiar…_ The rest of Hak's answer remained unspoken in his mind.

Lilli and Tae Jun darted quick, nervous looks between Hak and M'Lady.

"And why would you want to do that?" asked M'Lady coolly.

Suddenly, there was a panicked yelp from Lilli.

"Yona!"

Hak caught the Princess in time. She had been on the brink of fainting; her face was pale, and her breathing had grown heavy.

"Princess! What's wrong?"

Yona didn't seem to know what was going on. She stared dizzily at Hak's face.

"Huh?" she said vaguely. "What's wrong with me…?"

"It could be heat stroke," said Yoon, running his hands over Yona's face. "Someone fetch me a cloth and a basin of water."

"Tae Jun, do as he says," said M'Lady sharply. "Princess, are you alright?"

"I'm – I'm fine," insisted Yona, straightening up slowly. "It was just a brief spell…"

Ao pressed an acorn against the Princess's mouth and gave tiny, worried squeaks.

Yona laughed mildly. "I'm fine, Ao. Stop worrying, all of you. It's nothing serious."

Lilli breathed a sigh.

"You scared me!" she said poutingly. "And Hak, I don't know why you're so bent on seeing M'Lady's face, but do you think we're dense enough not to see through such a transparent lie?"

"What lie?" asked Yona, not catching on.

"Him liking M'Lady, of course," said Lilli in surprise. "Don't tell me you actually believed it?"

The leaden weight in Yona's heart dispersed at once.

"Oh," she said, eyes very wide. "Of course… of course not! It's not easy for Hak to fall in love. I've been with him my whole life and I've never seen him show affection for any woman."

Her words struck the Thunder Beast blow for blow.

"Yona," winced Yoon, "why don't you take a break from talking and save your strength?" _Before the Thunder Beast passes on again…_

Kija – How good looking is the person across from you?

Kija stared at said person, who so happened to be Hak.

"Is that even a person?" asked the White Dragon dubiously. "I thought it was a wild beast."

"Just so you know, White Snake, I am a man that is above childish insults," said Hak, picking up his spear and sharpening the edge of it with a vengeance.

"Thunder Beast, your true intentions are painfully obvious," said Yoon dryly. "Please put down the spear before an accidental massacre occurs."

Zeno – Run around screaming like a lunatic until someone tells you to stop.

Zeno was on his feet immediately. He raced around the group, flailing his arms and screaming his lungs out. He didn't stop even when the others shouted themselves hoarses.

"Someone tackle that devil-may-care idiot before the bandits arrive!"

Zeno skipped back to his spot at once.

"That was fun!" he wheezed happily. "Zeno can't wait to do it again!"

Lilli – How long have you gone without bathing?

"What a rude question! I'll have you know that bathing is my daily routine."

"We are one and the same," said Kija excitedly. "Baths are just as important as breathing, don't you agree?"

"It seems that Kija has found his soulmate," remarked Jae Ha, as Kija and Lilli launched into an energetic discussion about the wonders of sanitation. "Listen –I just caught wind of a wedding date."

"I heard that," scowled Lilli, swivelling around to face the Green Dragon. "If you weren't a guy I would have thought you were jealous."

Jae Ha laughed lightly. "You've got me, Lilli!"

"HUH?" Lilli's jaw sank to the ground. "So you really do like him?!"

"Like who?" demanded Kija.

"Jae Ha, stop creating misunderstandings," chided Yona.

"Yes, Yona dear. Whatever you say," grinned Jae Ha.

M'Lady – If you could wake up in the body of somebody else who would you pick and what would you do?

"I would choose the Princess."

Yona pointed at herself in astonishment. "Me?"

"Well, I would be curious to see how many suitors I have lined up for me."

Hak was dumbfounded.

Yona blushed demurely. "I'm sure I don't have any suitors," she said self-consciously.

"You're speaking too early, Yona dear," stated Jae Ha knowledgeably. "They say that there are always spiders within three feet of you."

" _Spiders?"_ With a huge gasp, Kija leapt into Tae Jun's arms.

"Get off me, you white-haired maniac!" gasped the Prince, teetering under Kija's weight.

Kija's fright gave way to insult.

" _What?_ Did you just call me a white-haired maniac?"

"You could have killed me!"

"There were spiders! Jae Ha was talking about them!"

"Hey, hey. Don't drag me into your lovers' quarrel," chortled Jae Ha.

"You –! This is all your fault!"

"Ah… it's so refreshing to see your enemies fighting each other for a change," smiled Hak serenely.

"Yona, beware of marrying someone with a dark side," Yoon warned the Princess, giving Hak an apprehensive look.

Yona – You are now related to the person on your right.

Yona smiled at M'Lady.

"So I guess we're sisters now!" she said happily. "I'm so happy! I've never had a sister before."

"I was thinking more along the lines of 'an aunt'," said Hak carelessly.

"Hak!" gasped Lilli. "What do you think you're saying?"

"Wait a moment. I was referring to the Princess."

"The nerve of you!" exclaimed Kija. "Princess, pay no heed to this uncouth beast!"

"It's OK, Kija. Teasing people is Hak's hobby," said Yona, who was not in the least bit perturbed.

"I think Hak simply dislikes the idea of being my brother-in-law," teased M'Lady.

Hak gaped at M'Lady. Yona cocked her head in bewilderment.

"Brother-in-law?"

Hak ground his teeth. This infuriating lady… had she actually seen through him?

"Princess, now that we are sisters, may I call you 'Yona'?" asked M'Lady warmly.

Yona beamed brightly. "Of course!"

 _Does she have a bone to pick with me?_ thought Hak in annoyance. _Why does everything she does get on my nerve? Just who is she?_

Hak – Seduce someone of the same sex.

"What excellent timing," smiled Jae Ha. "I'm in the mood for a good dose of seduction."

 _I am not in the mood for this,_ scowled Hak silently. Reluctantly, he turned toward the Blue Dragon.

"Shin Ah, you have beautiful eyes. Please go out with me."

Shin Ah disappeared in a cloud of dust.

Kija was aghast. M'Lady was laughing quietly into her hand. Jae Ha lifted an eyebrow.

"You're not very good at this, are you, Hak?" tutted the Green Dragon.

"Jae Ha, I think it would be best if you stopped testing his patience," advised Yoon.

Jae Ha – If I was a food, what would I be and how would you eat me?

"Cow dung," said Hak tersely.

Jae Ha gave a dramatic gasp.

"How cruel! Hak, don't you have a heart?"

"Jae Ha, your words don't match your facial expression," said Lilli.

"Cow dung isn't a food anyway," said Yoon.

"Then… dog chow," said Hak indifferently.

Jae Ha pulled at Yoon's sleeve tearfully.

"Yoon… I think Hak hates me… "

"Yes, yes. Please stop pulling me."

"Zeno, can you think of anything?" inquired Yona of the Yellow Dragon.

Zeno placed a finger on his cheek thoughtfully.

"Hm… Zeno's answer would be… a green pepper!"

"Because I spice up everybody's lives?" asked Jae Ha, whipping his head up in delight.

"No. Because of your hair."

"Huh… that's not so bad… "

"So how would we eat him?" asked Yoon.

"First, we grind him into pepper powder with my spear… " said Hak ominously.

"OK, OK - we get the idea," sighed Yoon.

...

Thank you NekoRyuuKo and cousin for the wonderful ideas! :)


	10. Chapter 10

Yoon – What is the longest you have gone without sleep?

A dark expression slid over Yoon's face.

"An excellent question," he said with a vehement stare at the Four Dragons. "What do you guys think?"

"Zeno doesn't have a clue!" said Zeno cheerfully. "Zeno has been sleeping like a log!"

Shin Ah shook his head innocently, his way of saying, "I don't know either." Kija was looking blankly at Yoon. Jae Ha, however, was smiling rather widely, and averting his eyes from the young genius.

"The first night we slept in a tent," reminded Yoon, eyes popping dangerously. "You don't remember?"

"Remember what?" asked Kija in genuine confusion.

Yoon drew himself up. "The snoring? The God-awful snoring that was so loud it raised earthquakes from Kouka all the way to the Kai Empire?"

"Was my snoring that awful?" gasped Kija, covering his mouth. "I never knew!"

"It wasn't you, it was this sunny-side up idiot!"

Yoon stabbed his finger at Zeno.

The Yellow Dragon turned up his mouth in protest. "It's apnoea," he said fretfully. "At Zeno's age, there's no helping a weak constitution."

"Are you making fun of me?" demanded Yoon. "And you, Shin Ah! Well, there were no problems from you… But you!" Yoon's finger skewered Kija this time. "Either start learning to retract your claws like a cat's or cease the habit of slashing the air every time you wake from a nightmare!"

Kija scratched his cheek unhappily. "But I could have sworn someone had attacked me..."

"That was Jae Ha tickling your nose." Yoon threw a scowl at the Green Dragon. "You woke screaming and then dropped back to sleep like the dead. It's a good thing no one was hurt."

"And that's the story of how I almost committed second-degree murder," proclaimed Jae Ha dramatically.

Zeno applauded.

"I'm sorry, Yoon," apologised Yona. "You should have let me sleep with you."

Yoon shrugged. "The second night on was peaceful, thank heavens for it. I guess these morons just weren't used to sleeping under a roof." He rubbed his eyes tiredly. "Just thinking about it gives me a headache."

"There, there. If you're tired, you can borrow Shin Ah's shoulder," said Jae Ha comfortingly.

"Shouldn't you be the one offering?" questioned Hak dryly.

Shin Ah – If you could bring someone back to life, who would it be?

Shin Ah remained quiet for so long everyone thought he had dropped off.

Finally, the Blue Dragon said quietly, "Ao... Whoa, I'm good."

"Er, Ao?" blinked Yona. "Ao is still alive, Shin Ah."

Shin Ah shook his head insistently. "Ao."

"It seems that Shin Ah doesn't understand," said Kija sympathetically. "Shin Ah, Ao is still alive. A-l-i-v-e. Do you understand?"

"Kija, you're insulting his intelligence," said Lilli.

Kija was taken aback.

"Zeno thinks Shin Ah is talking about a different person," said Zeno.

Yona addressed Shin Ah puzzledly, "Come to think of it, you told me that Ao taught you swordsmanship."

The Blue Dragon nodded.

"Ao taught him swordsmanship?" laughed M'Lady. "What an interesting take."

"Ridiculous," scoffed Tae Jun. "How can a squirrel teach a man to fight?"

"So what?" demanded Hak. "Is Ao an undead squirrel that teaches swordsmanship to strange-masked men?"

Shin Ah remained silent.

"Shin Ah doesn't have to answer if it's not a Truth question. Right?" beamed Zeno.

Hak scowled. "Somehow, the way you said it really annoys me."

Tae Jun – Yell "I believe in fairies" loudly three times while clapping your hands as fast as you can.

Tae Jun made a face.

"I don't believe in fairies," he protested.

"What are fairies?" asked Lilli in confusion.

"It's just a dare, Your Highness," said Jae Ha.

"But I don't believe in mythical creatures," insisted the Prince.

Jae Ha quirked an eyebrow. "You do know you're sitting among the four legendary Dragon Warriors?"

"The four legendary Dragon Warriors?" repeated M'Lady slowly.

Yoon forced a laugh. "Jae Ha, you sure love a good jest!" Surreptitiously, he bent over and hissed, "Idiot! Are you forgetting we're supposed to keep a low profile?"

"Are you referring to King Hiryuu's Dragon Warriors?" asked M'Lady with a frown no one could see.

"You seem to be well-acquainted with our kingdom's history, _M'Lady,_ " drawled Hak.

"It depends on your perspective," she returned neutrally.

Hak shrugged. "Well, I'll disregard it this time, _M'Lady_. Right now I want to see Tae Jun acting the idiot."

"Don't use that tone against M'Lady!" reprimanded Lilli indignantly.

Hak ignored her. "Your Highness?" he prompted delicately.

Tae Jun went red.

"Fine!" The Prince struck his palms together, all the while bellowing, "I BELIEVE IN FAIRIES! I BELIEVE IN FAIRIES! I BELIEVE IN FAIRIES!"

Laughter erupted all around Tae Jun. He crossed his arms, fuming.

"Sorry, Tae Jun!" choked Lilli. "That was adorably funny!"

"Was. Not." Tae Jun gritted his teeth.

Kija – Lick the face of the player to your right.

Tae Jun was horrorstruck. He grabbed Kija's shoulders and shook them frantically.

"Forfeit this round!" he ordered. "Forfeit, I say!"

"I can't," protested Kija. "The next one that goes will be my robe!"

"So take it out!" demanded Tae Jun.

"No!"

"It's not an option!"

"NO!"

"Stop," said Shin Ah, trying to break up the pair. "Stop fighting. Whoa, I'm good."

"Fantastic," grinned Jae Ha. "Now I know what you mean when you say it's refreshing to see your enemies fighting themselves for a change, Hak."

"Isn't it?" nodded Hak.

Jae Ha smiled. "Although, Kija is less of a nemesis than His Highness over there."

"Everyone but the Princess is my enemy," said Hak.

"Well, thanks a bunch," scowled Yoon. "Enough already you two, or I'll have you both undress!" he snapped, rounding on the grappling pair. "Kija, make your decision already!"

"I cannot defile the Princess's eyes!" breathed Kija, pulling at his face anxiously. "For the Princess's sake, I will not forfeit! I will let myself be defiled!"

"For the love of all, it's just a lick," sighed Hak.

Knowing it was inevitable, Tae Jun shut his eyes tight, fingernails digging into his palms. M'Lady's eyebrows were way up high. Yona and Lilli turned away, scarlet.

It was over in a second.

"The gods save me," shuddered Tae Jun, goosebumps popping up all over his skin.

Kija had his face in his hands.

"That was for the Princess, the Princess… " he kept muttering agitatedly.

"How did he work that out?" questioned Yoon.

"One thing leads to another, Yoon," said Jae Ha wisely.

"Why are you saying as if it makes total sense?" said Hak irritably.

"It's OK, Kija. You still have your purity," assured Lilli, stroking the White Dragon's back like a pet dog.

Zeno – Exchange shirts with the person to your right for the rest of the game.

Kija was still muttering into his hands.

"Woo-hoo! Zeno finally gets to be the White Dragon!" cheered Zeno victoriously.

"If wearing his clothes would turn you into Kija, we would have had Yona in your garments a long time ago," said Yoon exhaustedly.

His words didn't have the impact he wanted. Kija's head snapped up so fast it was a surprise his neck was still intact.

"The P-Princess, in my c-c-clothes?" he stuttered, eyes swelling at an alarming rate.

"Now you've done it, Yoon," sighed Jae Ha. "You've put lewd thoughts into Kija's head _and_ Hak's. Look at Hak, look at the fever in his eyes – "

The Green Dragon ducked as a spear came swinging at him in a blur of silver.

Zeno leapt to his feet, offering Kija a hand.

"Let's go, Kija!"

"I-I don't know…" said Kija doubtfully. "No offence, but a clothes exchange with you sounds unhygienic."

"Is it bugging you, Kija?" grinned Jae Ha.

Kija scowled. "You be quiet!"

And so the trade was made. Zeno skipped happily back to the group, flaunting his new white robe.

"At least this White Dragon isn't afraid of bugs," said Hak.

Now it was his turn to avoid being sliced open by deadly claws.

"This sure is a violent game," remarked M'Lady with amusement.

"Just an occupational hazard of travelling with circus freaks," said Yoon.

Lilli – How good-looking is the player across from you?

"Hm… " Lilli stared appraisingly at Yoon. "He's definitely a looker… "

Yoon puffed up his chest, smiling smugly.

"…if you're talking about feminine charms, of course," finished Lilli.

Yoon looked startled. "Feminine charms? I'm a handsome genius!" he protested.

"There's nothing wrong with feminine charms, Yoon, " beamed Lilli. "It dazzles the maidens."

Jae Ha eyed Hak meaningfully. "Hear that, Hak? It's time to work on your femininity."

"What does this have to do with Hak?" asked Yona in surprise.

A mischievous twinkle came into Jae Ha's eyes. Leaning over, he said softly, "Yona dear, remember what I said about spiders…?"

"Don't associate me with bugs," scowled Hak. "Princess, plug your ears before they get infected."

"I don't understand what you're both saying," frowned Yona.

M'Lady – Come up with a cutesy pet name for everyone in the group.

M'Lady flew to the task. She thought for a while before turned to Lilli.

"Yours will be Lilli-Pie."

"Lilli-Pie..." said Lilli, as though she was tasting poison.

"Zeno next! Zeno next!" exclaimed Zeno.

"You're Zeno-Boo," said M'Lady.

Kija shrank back as M'Lady's gaze moved onto him.

"Ki-Kins."

Next was Tae Jun. "Tae Tae."

And then Shin Ah. "Shinnums."

"Yoony."

"Jae-Bun."

"Hak Huns."

"Princess."

The sappiness was too much for all of them.

"I can't take this," groaned Hak. "Why the heck did I wind up with the fluffiest name on the list?"

"It suits you well, Hak Huns," cooed Jae Ha.

"What about you, Jae-Bun?" snapped Hak.

"Tae Tae?" repeated Tae Jun blankly. _"Me?"_

"Ki-Kins?" whispered Kija.

 _Yoony, huh? I could go with it,_ thought Yoon.

"What adorable names," beamed Yona. "You're really good at this, M'Lady."

"You're the lucky one, Yona," said Lilli with a twist of her mouth. "M'Lady spared you from certain death."

Yona – SPECIAL: Challenge any player of your choice to the Yes and No Game. The loser has to draw an additional slip.

There followed a short list of instructions on how to play.

"Well, this is a first," remarked Yoon. "A game within a game, huh?"

"Zeno wants to play!" volunteered the Yellow Dragon enthusiastically.

Yona beamed. "OK! Let's play."

The Princess and the Yellow Dragon each wrote a name on a slip and stuck them on their foreheads without the other knowing what they had written. The winner would be the one who figured out the name first.

Zeno began.

"Let's see… " he said, thinking hard. "Am I… human?"

Right from the start, Yona found herself stumped.

"What's wrong, Yona?" asked Lilli.

"I… don't really know if this person could be considered a human," she admitted.

Everyone stared at the slip on Zeno's forehead.

"He is definitely not human," said Hak.

Lilli giggled nervously. "Don't be rude, Hak."

"I'll have to agree with Thunder Beast," said Yoon curtly.

M'Lady was confused. "I do not understand the debate. This is obviously a human."

"Right?" Yona breathed a sigh of relief. "Yes, Zeno. You are human."

"Now it's your turn to ask, Yona," said Yoon.

"OK. Am I human?" the Princess returned the question.

"Yup!" answered Zeno brightly. "Am I pretty?"

Yona hesitated again.

"Stop wavering, Princess," said Hak. "You'll give yourself away."

"No," said Yona at last. "Am I nobility?"

"Yup! Is Zeno nobility?"

"No."

"Oh. So Zeno is neither pretty nor nobility. And Miss didn't seem to know for sure if Zeno was human." Zeno scratched his chin ponderingly. "Is Zeno Hak?"

"Wrong," said Yoon, as Jae Ha gave a loud snort. "Jumping to the final answer inconclusively gives the opponent an extra turn. You're up, Yona."

Yona mulled over the facts she had in hand. Human, as well as a noble. There were not many names she could call upon.

"Am I male?" she asked.

Zeno shook his head. "Nope!"

"Was I born in Kouka?"

"That's right!"

 _Come on, Princess. You should have it figured out by now,_ thought Hak wearily, when he saw that Yona still looked uncertain.

"Zeno's turn now!" said Zeno. "Is Zeno Miss?"

 _And we have another who's slow on the uptake,_ thought Hak exasperatedly.

"Wrong," said Yoon. "Yona gets another two gos."

Yona suddenly brightened up.

"Am I Lilli?" she asked excitedly.

"Nope," said Yoon. "Arriving at the final answer inconclusively with two tries removes you of said tries."

 _This is going to go on forever,_ thought Hak with a sigh.

"Is Zeno powerful?" asked Zeno.

 _Urgh! He's getting warmer._

"Yes," said Yona. "Am I alive?"

"Very much. Is Zeno Zeno?"

"And Zeno wins!" declared Yoon, as Hak dropped his head. "Yona will now have to draw another slip."

"Wait! Zeno wants the game to continue," said the Yellow Dragon. "Zeno wants to win fairly."

"But you just did," said Jae Ha.

Zeno didn't heed him. "Go on, Miss! Ask Zeno!"

Yona stared at the Yellow Dragon. Mentally, she tried to sort out the jumble of facts she had gathered.

And just like that, the answer came to her.

"Am I myself?"

Zeno looked very serious. Yona's face fell. Had she guessed wrong again?

"With that bit of paper stuck to your forehead? Zeno thinks not," said Zeno. Next moment, he threw back his head and laughed. "Joking! Miss is right! Miss was Miss all along!"

Yona blinked. Then she, too, was laughing.

"How did you not guess it was you?" asked Hak exasperatedly.

Yona's smile became one of embarrassment. "I don't actually consider myself a Princess for the time being."

"So why did you put down your name? You could have picked any number of people."

"I thought I would be the last person he would think of," shrugged Yona. "Seems I was wrong."

"Sorry, Miss. Zeno thought it would be rude to lose on purpose, so Zeno gave it his all."

"Go on, Yona. Pick another," said Yoon.

Yona - How far have you gone?

"This again?" frowned Yona.

"Princess, you don't have to answer. We all know what it is," assured Kija.

"We're not sure about that, Kija," warned Jae Ha. "Who knows what kind of unspeakable things Hak Huns has been doing to Yona these nights past… "

"Thunder Beast, if you swing that spear one more time, I'll have you forfeit thrice."

"Hak seems to have a short temper," smiled M'Lady.

"You're a good judge of character," said Hak idly. "Unless, of course, you've experienced my skills firsthand."

"What are you implying?" demanded Tae Jun.

"Are you threatening M'Lady?" insisted Lilli.

"Wouldn't dream of it."

"Hak Huns, don't forget that M'Lady is Yona's sister now," reminded Jae Ha. "Threatening her is as good as threatening your beloved Princess."

"I think a fly just buzzed in my ear. Sorry, Jae-Bun, you were saying something?"

"Can we move past this pointless banter?" said Yoon in annoyance.

...

Kudos to NekoRyuuko and Mrs Zala for the awesome ideas!


	11. Chapter 11

Kudos to NekoRyuuko, Mrs Zala and FangirlLife101 for the awesome ideas!

...

Yona – Every time it's someone's turn, leap up with all your strength. Lasts a full round.

Hak applauded loudly and slowly. "Looks like it's the Princess's turn to shine."

"Princess, if you're tired, feel free to stop," reassured Kija.

"Yes, Yona dear. If you're tired, feel free to rest on my lap," said Jae Ha warmly.

"You may lean on my shoulder, too, Yona," offered M'Lady with a genial smile. "This is what sisters are for."

"How did it come down to that?" demanded Hak.

Yona smiled back at M'Lady and said, "Thank you, M'Lady."

Hak scowled.

"Jumping is a lot of fun, Miss!" said Zeno brightly. "You'll enjoy it tremendously!"

"I have doubts about it," said Tae Jun. "It sounds exhausting."

Gathering up her skirt, Yona gave a great jump, letting out a little 'ooph' as she did.

"Yona, you're so cute!" exclaimed Lilli. Shin Ah nodded in agreement.

"Miss is always cute!" beamed Zeno. "Right, M'Lady?"

M'Lady's smile faltered for just a split second. "You took the words right out of my mouth," she said warmly. "Isn't that right, Hak?"

"Are we starting a chain now?" replied Hak.

"Your La – M'Lady, what are you doing?" demanded Lilli, when M'Lady started to take down her eye veil.

"M'Lady, are you sure – ?" began Tae Jun, eyeing M'Lady nervously.

"I am withering, my dear escorts," said M'Lady. "Unless you want to be carrying an unconscious body back, I think I should be allowed a little exposure."

Lilli dropped her face onto her palms.

"Oh, very well," she said, suddenly irate. "I'm not the one who wanted this. Don't blame me if anything goes wrong."

"I still don't think this is a good idea," insisted Tae Jun.

"What isn't?" asked Yona, confused. "What are you talking about?"

"It's M'Lady's… er… sensitive eyes," said Tae Jun, sounding as though he was convincing himself.

Lilli looked sad now. "Yes. I mentioned that she has sensitive eyes, didn't I? Yes, I did…"

"Well… " said Yoon, who had raised his eyebrow at the awkward remark. "Thunder Beast, if you would."

Hak was watching M'Lady.

"Thunder Beast?" prompted Yoon, but Hak didn't heed him.

Yona's face suddenly appeared in Hak's view.

"Hak?" she said, waving at his face. "It's your turn now."

"Huh?" Hak blinked, frowning slightly. "Oh, right." Almost distractedly, he reached out to draw a slip. Yona, who had felt another sharp pain in her chest when she'd seen her childhood friend staring at M'Lady, sighed and grabbed the front of her gown.

 _I really should stop eating so much._

Hak – Pretend to have amnesia for a full round.

Yona gathered her skirt and jumped again, as Hak asked, "Does forgetting what you ate for breakfast count?"

"It's definitely something to look into," said Yoon darkly.

"Honest, though. How amnesiac should I be?"

"Suits you."

Hak began to look around in confusion. "Where am I?" he frowned. "Why am I sitting in a circle full of weird-looking people?"

Jae Ha snorted as Yoon pulled a poker face. "So he's taking it that far," remarked the young genius exasperatedly.

Yona took Hak's hands, her face full of concern.

"Don't you remember, Hak? I'm the Princess," she said gently. "You're serving me as my bodyguard. These people are our friends."

 _Is there really a need to be so dramatic?_ thought Yoon uneasily.

"Yona's right," said Jae Ha, who had stopped laughing after much effort. "I'm your bosom friend, Hak. Remember? We went through thick and thin together."

"Oh, really?" Hak stared at Jae Ha impassively. "I don't know why, but I'm finding it hard to believe."

Jae Ha drew Yona close to him. "I'm also getting hitched to the Princess," he said with a charming smile. "You were about to give us our blessing, remember?"

The Green Dragon narrowly dodged the blade.

"Oops, sorry. My hand slipped," said Hak, not looking sorry at all.

"Jae Ha, Thunder Beast – this is the final warning," said Yoon.

Jae Ha – If you knew the world was about to end, what would you do?

Yona leapt like a rabbit as Zeno and Lilli cheered her on.

"What would I do?" Jae Ha smiled. "Of course, I would use any means necessary to take off Shin Ah's mask."

"I'd end Droopy Eyes before the world did," said Hak.

"Nobody asked you," said Yoon irritably. "And didn't I say to cut it out?"

"Shin Ah, you should consider sticking your mask to your face permanently," cautioned Kija.

Yoon – Stare eye-to-eye with someone on your left at close range (no more than one finger-width apart) for one minute.

Yona jumped again. This time, Zeno did it with her.

"Wheeee!" he exclaimed happily.

"Who brought the kid?" asked Hak sardonically.

"Hak, your amnesia must have twisted your personality," remarked Kija.

Yoon scooted close to Shin Ah, pinning his gaze on him.

"You don't have to be so nervous, Shin Ah," laughed Lilli, as Shin Ah turned his head left and right to avoid Yoon's stare.

"If anything, Yoon should be the one getting nervous, having to stare at such a creepy mask," said Tae Jun.

"Speaking of masks, I didn't catch your name, Lady-in-the-Shawl," said Hak, smiling uncharacteristically at M'Lady.

"I believe I did not disclose it, my dear Hak," answered M'Lady just as politely.

"I found it strange that I could suddenly recall everyone's names but yours, you see," continued Hak in the same silky tones. "You have lovely eyes, by the way. Mind if I take a closer look?"

"Hak, what are you doing?" asked Yona puzzledly.

Tae Jun sent Lilli a nervous look, but Lilli merely folded her arms and said, "It's no longer my problem."

Hak noticed this. "And why are you looking like that?" he asked the Fire Tribe Prince. "I find it odd that you tense up everytime I question M'Lady, you know."

"Hak, that's enough," scolded Yona. "You know why M'Lady has to keep her identity secret."

But Hak, who had been studying M'Lady all this time, suddenly stilled.

The abrupt change in his expression startled Yona. He looked like someone who had realised he was cornered.

"You don't have to make Yona feel jealous, Hak," teased Jae Ha, who hadn't noticed anything. "M'Lady is a beauty for sure, but Yona knows you only have eyes for – "

"Whoops, my hand slipped again," said Hak carelessly, having flattened Jae Ha's face with his fist. "Sorry about it, bosom friend."

"How would you know what M'Lady looks like anyway?" asked Kija.

Zeno titled his head questioningly. "Kija, are you saying M'Lady isn't pretty?"

"Huh?" Kija blushed at once. "No! That's not what I meant!"

Jae Ha massaged his sore nose tenderly. "Every lady is beautiful in my eyes," he said graciously.

"Indeed," said Hak idly, causing everyone to stare at him in shock. This was the first time Hak had ever agreed with the Green Dragon. "But it's nothing for you to worry about, is it, M'Lady?" he added, eyes boring into hers.

"W-what do you mean, Hak?" asked Tae Jun, who was looking more nervous than ever.

"They say that great beauties take after their mother," remarked Jae Ha suddenly. "Yona's mother must have been exceptionally stunning."

Yona smiled. "Oh, I can't possibly be compared to her."

"What about you, M'Lady? Was your mother stunning?" asked Hak casually.

Yona scowled. "Alright, Hak – enough with the harrassment."

Shin Ah – Give five trees in the vicinity a big hug and tell each one that you love it.

Yona and Zeno flew as one.

Shin Ah stood up automatically.

"No second thoughts?" said Kija incredulously.

"Apparently, Shin Ah's skin is thicker than the tree's bark," laughed Jae Ha.

They watched as Shin Ah went up to a slender evergreen. He put his arms around it.

"Tell each one that I love it," said Shin Ah. "Whoa, I'm good."

He went up to another tree and did the same. Ao squeaked indignantly, glaring at the trees the Blue Dragon had embraced.

"Is it me, or does Ao seem to be feeling jealous?" questioned Lilli, eyeing the squirrel in surprise.

"Poor Ao," fretted Yona.

"I don't see anything to be jealous about in the first place," said Yoon.

Shin Ah stepped back from his fifth tree and turned to look at Ao.

The Blue Dragon crouched down, holding out his hand. Ao's marble eyes lit up. She scampered over to Shin Ah, squeaking with pleasure when he scratched the top of her furry head.

"Well, I guess all's well that ends well," said Jae Ha heartily.

 _What a simple-minded squirrel…_ thought everybody else.

Tae Jun – Players ask the victim three questions about who their ideal partner is and then have everyone vote on who the likeliest person in the group is.

Zeno grabbed Yona's hand and leapt up with an excited squeal before she was ready.

"Zeno, be careful!" cried Kija in alarm.

"Why is he jumping in the first place?" scowled Hak.

To everyone's bemusement, once Yona had settled back down, it was she who put forth the first question.

"What kind of personality appeals to you?" she asked Tae Jun.

"H-huh?" Tae Jun seemed startled. "Well, um… I like those… who have fire in them… "

"Oh-ho! So you want some spice in your life, huh?" teased Lilli.

"Any talents?" inquired Kija.

"Well, being skilled with a weapon would be great… "

"How would you like to be treated by them?" asked Lilli.

Tae Jun was put off. "Currently, I don't think I'm liked very much… " he said forlornly.

 _Sounds like he has someone on his mind already…_ thought Yoon, Jae Ha and Lilli.

"She sounds like a wonderful person," beamed Yona. "You have high taste, Tae Jun."

 _Ack! This is what they call ignorant self-praise…_

Tae Jun looked down awkwardly, his face glowing like molten lava.

Zeno raised his eyes thoughtfully. "Someone who has fire in them, is skilled in wielding a weapon and doesn't like you very much?" he pondered aloud. "Which would mean… "

He peered around the group. His eyes alighted on someone.

"Which would mean your ideal partner is Hak?" asked the Yellow Dragon curiously.

Tae Jun's head snapped up. "What?!"

"I'm mighty flattered, Your Highness," said Hak promptly. "Unfortunately, you're swinging on the wrong side of the fence."

All traces of embarrassment was wiped off of Tae Jun's face. Furious, he snapped, "You're wrong! It's not Hak, it's – it's… "

He turned red again, and was unable to complete his sentence. Kija gave a sympathetic sigh and stroked him on the back.

"It's fine, Your Highness. I understand what it means to fall for someone like that uncouth beast."

"White Snake, the reality is, you're the one whose personality got twisted," said Hak.

As Kija was reaching for a slip, Zeno took Yona's hand again.

Someone grabbed her other hand. Yona looked up, right at the Green Dragon's smiling face.

"Allow me to join in," he said jovially.

"Oh?" Hak stood up as well. "Don't leave me out, Droopy Eyes. Give me your hand, too."

Jae Ha sat back down immediately, laughing.

"No, thank you! I like my left hand where it is."

Kija – Say 'Would you marry me?' to the player to your right. Keep asking them until he/she says 'yes.'

"What sort of play is this?!" demanded Kija, colouring up. The player to his right happened to be Tae Jun.

The Prince, who was still wrapped up in his latest Truth, didn't seem to notice what was going on.

Yona's eyes were shining. "Kija would look lovely as a bride," she said brightly. "You're pretty enough. If I were a man, I would definitely fall for you."

Kija fell on all fours.

 _So if she's not a man, there's no chance that she'll fall for me?_

Jae Ha laughed lightly and placed a hand on the Princess's shoulder. "Yona dear, you're the Queen of subtle criticism."

"Eh?" Yona blinked puzzledly.

Yoon sighed. "Come on, Kija. We haven't got all day," he said impatiently.

With soulless eyes, Kija pulled himself up.

"Your Highness," he said dully, "will you marry me?"

Tae Jun finally seemed to have come to his senses. He stared at Kija, completely upset.

"I don't swing that way!" he insisted.

"Put more spirit into it, Kija," Jae Ha egged.

Kija sighed. "Please marry me, Your Highness," he said monotonously.

"How is that spirit?" asked Hak.

"Say your modesty is at sake," suggested Jae Ha.

"Like I would!" snapped the White Dragon, flaring up again.

"Maybe dressing as a woman might help?" offered Zeno sincerely.

"What are you even saying?!"

"Maybe I should implement a time limit," voiced out Yoon.

Kija was feeling slightly panicky.

"Your Highness, we don't actually have to get married," he told Tae Jun urgently. "You just have to say 'yes'!"

"What makes you think I'd say 'yes' to a man's proposal?" demanded Tae Jun indignantly. "Besides, I'm the one who does the proposing!"

That's _what he's worried about?_

"Tae Jun, relax. It's just a game," reminded Lilli. "It's not like we're witnesses to your ceremony."

"Maybe he needs a ring," joked Jae Ha.

"You're running out of time, Kija," said Yoon.

Kija dropped to his knees. "Please marry me, Your Highness!"

Tae Jun felt weighed down by everybody's stares.

Finally, he gave in to peer pressure.

"Alright, I'll marry you!" he winced out the words.

Kija was overjoyed. "Thank the Gods!"

Tae Jun buried his face in his hands. _I accepted a man's proposal in front of the Princess._ Maybe he should take a leaf out of M'Lady's book and start wearing an eye veil...


	12. Chapter 12

Once again, I have these amazing people to thank for giving me their wonderful suggestions - NekoRyuuko, Mrs Zala, FangirlLife101, Queen Riptide Tall Shadow Pear, and KMCP Ai! Stay awesome, guys!

...

Zeno – Write a poem for the person to your left. The cheesier, the better.

"Zeno is a romantic," said Zeno proudly. "Zeno needs time to think."

"You do know those sentences don't match?" inquired Yoon.

"Oh, I don't mind," smiled Lilli. "They say good things are worth waiting for."

"A cheesy poem is a good thing?" asked Tae Jun.

"You must not have received many poems if you're looking forward to it," said Kija.

"And you're such a lady-killer yourself," retorted Lilli.

Kija recoiled. "I've never killed ladies!"

"Don't mind White Snake, Lilli," said Hak. "He tends to speak his mind."

"I am not a murderer," insisted Kija.

"Yeah," said Yoon dryly. "You've only killed about a hundred soldiers so far."

"Zeno has it!" piped up the Yellow Dragon suddenly. "Is Lilli ready to hear Zeno's very own original poem?"

"Let's hear it," smiled Lilli.

"Roses are red," declared Zeno in as manly a voice as he could manage. "Violets are blue. Orchids are pretty, and lilies are too."

Lilli beamed. "Aw. That's so sweet!"

"Definitely cheesy," remarked Jae Ha.

"And he had a cheesy delivery to go with it," added Hak.

"Hak," chided Yona, frowning.

"Don't take it the wrong way, Princess," drawled Hak. "If it wasn't cheesy enough, our Yellow friend would have had to strip."

"Zeno doesn't mind stripping," beamed Zeno.

"Zeno!" said Kija in shock. "We must not defile the Princess's pure mind!"

"But Zeno's body is pure," insisted the Yellow Dragon.

"You do know that's not the point," said Yoon irritably.

Lilli – Serenade the person to your left.

Lilli looked uncomfortable. "I'm not sure I can sing."

"Shall we draw a moustache on you?" offered Zeno.

"Not the point, Zeno," said Yoon testily.

"I'm sure your voice is beautiful," said M'Lady. Her hazel eyes always crinkled whenever she smiled.

Hak's face darkened.

Yona stared at her childhood friend. "Hak, what's wrong?"

Hak didn't hear her. M'Lady had directed her smile at him, and he was too busy glaring back.

" _This is bad!"_ Tae Jun had scooted over to Lilli and now whispered into her ear. _"He's figured it out! This is a disaster in the making!"_

"That's her problem," countered Lilli. "It's no longer my concern what she does. Anyway, I was wrong about one thing – this game is a lot more fun than I'd bargained for. I don't mind sticking around for a while."

Tae Jun groaned, but returned to his spot without a choice.

"Have you thought of a song yet, Lilli?" asked Yona.

"Yes," said Lilli, sparing a sweet smile for M'Lady. "It's about two servants who were used to fulfil a noblewoman's selfish request."

M'Lady laughed lightly. "I cannot wait to hear it."

Lilli let the notes pour out of her mouth, all the while pretending to play a _koto_. She was halfway through the song when she paused, scratching her head.

"Mm... I can't remember how the rest of it goes."

"What?" Kija couldn't help expressing his disappointment. "But the servants were about to discover the noblewoman's ploy! You can't stop now."

"I thought the serenade was supposed to capture M'Lady's interest," said Jae Ha.

"Nevermind, Lilli. You've done enough," said Yoon, as Yona applauded her friend. "M'Lady, if you would."

M'Lady – Who among the group would you kiss, slap and date?

"Is the question referring to someone I would want to do all three with, or three people whom I would want to do each with?" asked M'Lady in confusion.

"So there's actually someone you want to do all three with?" questioned Hak sardonically. "Your country sure has strange practices."

"Hak, that's enough," scowled Yona. "M'Lady, ignore Hak and his annoying hobbies."

M'Lady smiled. "It's alright, dear sister. Hak is just teasing."

"The Princess having one blood relation is enough," remarked Hak.

"I agree," replied M'Lady affably. "Having such an adorable sister makes me want to give her a peck on the cheek."

Hak shrugged. "Go ahead. While you're at it, why don't you let me have a good look at your face?"

"Cut it out, Hak," chastised Yona. "You're spoiling the fun."

"And who could refuse dating such a cute sister?" continued M'Lady.

"Who indeed?" said Jae Ha, giving Hak a significant look.

"As for who I would slap," said M'Lady, "if I should have no other choice, I would deliver the blow to myself."

"How noble of you," said Hak with unsuppressed sarcasm. "I guess that's why they call people like you nobles."

Yona – What is a secret you've never told anyone?

Yona pondered the question with a painful expression.

"I think I'm getting fat," she said at last.

Hak snorted. "Took you a while to figure it out, Princess."

Irate, Yona cuffed his head. "You be quiet!"

Lilli took hold of the Princess's hands. "Yona…" she said very solemnly. "If you're fat, then I'm a whale."

Shin Ah nodded.

Yona shook her head. "You're not fat, Lilli. But honestly… my gown has been feeling a little tight lately."

"Is that why you keep clutching it, Princess?" asked Kija with concern. "It might have shrunk after the wash. We could ask Yoon to sew you a new one."

Yona shook her head. "It doesn't happen all the time."

Everyone looked at her in confusion. "Then when does it happen?" asked Yoon.

Yona blinked rapidly. "Um… the few times it did happen, I was looking at Hak… "

Jae Ha folded his arms and shut his eyes. "Hm… I see…"

"You beast! What have you done to the Princess?" demanded Kija angrily.

"I haven't done anything," snapped Hak. "Does the honourable White Dragon make a habit of throwing around false accusations?"

Jae Ha had laughed at Kija's outburst. "Hak, for once you're the oblivious one."

"Is there something I should be aware of?" demanded Hak.

"That's right! Do you know something?" challenged Kija.

Jae Ha put up his hands. "Now, now. Let's not resort to violence."

"Anyway, I'm sure it'll be fine once I reduce my food intake," said Yona reassuringly.

"Thunder Beast," said Yoon, who had drawn Hak's slip and was eyeing it intently, "I think you might be interested in this one."

Hak – Pour a mystery substance down the back of the person to your left.

An evil laugh trickled out of Hak's mouth.

"Should we call for a healer?" asked Tae Jun nervously.

Jae Ha had gone slightly pale.

"Now, now, Hak," he said in an attempt at heartiness, although perspiration was pouring visibly down his forehead. "You wouldn't do anything bad to your bosom friend, would you?"

Hak stopped laughing to fix him with an indifferent stare. "My granddad told me not to talk to strangers."

Jae Ha blinked. "What?"

"Thunder Beast still has a round left over from his amnesia dare," explained Yoon.

The Green Dragon laughed edgily. "Funny you can't remember us, but you can remember what your old granddad told you?"

"Yes."

"So did your granddad say it's OK to pour dangerous substances down strangers' backs?" insisted Jae Ha, now sweating bullets.

"No." The corner of Hak's mouth angled up. "I did."

"Come on, Hak! We're practically brothers, right?"

"All the more reason to eliminate this obnoxious brother of mine."

"Thunder Beast, you're not allowed to kill anyone," reminded Yoon.

Hak had set a pot of water to boil. He looked up casually. "Did I mention anything about killing?"

"No! Not that!" protested Jae Ha. "Please, Hak! I want my back to stay beautiful!"

"On second thought, Thunder Beast, you can boil this idiot whole," said Yoon irritably.

Yona lifted the pot off of the fire, frowning.

"Hak, don't do such dangerous things," she berated.

"Whew," said Jae Ha, looking visibly relieved. "Thank you, Yona."

Hak shrugged and took the pot from the Princess. He looked over at Jae Ha.

"Saved by the Princess," he said, and sloshed the lukewarm contents down the Green Dragon's back.

Jae Ha – Are you a virgin?

Jae Ha's grin returned like a shot.

"Ah... what better way to answer the question than after a good drench?" he asked, pushing back his hair with a seductive smile.

"Please don't," winced Lilli.

"Of course, a yes or no answer won't suffice," continued the Green Dragon airily. "I'll have to include the details. The juicy ones, of course."

"Princess, I just remembered that we have some urgent business to settle," said Hak, getting to his feet. "Let's proceed into the forest."

"You fiend! What are you planning to do to our virtuous Princess?" barked Kija, also leaping to his feet.

"White Snake, get out of the way," scowled Hak.

Jae Ha drew breath and began to speak. At once, Hak lifted a startled Yona into his arms and took off running, the White Dragon in hot pursuit. Zeno took Shin Ah's fingers and stuffed them into his ears before he, Yoon, Lilli and M'Lady did the same for themselves.

"What's going on?" asked Tae Jun, who had been looking left and right in confusion. Then his face changed as Jae Ha's words began to form their meaning.

 _I'm so glad I don't lip-read,_ thought Yoon, watching Tae Jun's expression of shock evolve into complete horror.

Hak and the others didn't return until they heard Yoon calling out, "The coast is clear, everyone!"

They trudged back with a huffy-looking Yona. Kija was still breathing down Hak's neck.

"There was no need to go so far," the Princess was telling Hak. She stopped when she saw Tae Jun, who seemed to have one foot in the netherworld. "What happened to him?"

"Oh, he has just been enlightened," smiled Jae Ha serenely.

"And what happened to him?" added Hak, shifting his gaze to Yoon.

Yoon – Smell everyone's feet and rank them by scent.

"Nooooooo – !" Yoon had grabbed his head, swaying wildly.

With a squeak, Ao bounded off Shin Ah's head and ran up to Yoon.

"What's up?" asked Lilli in surprise.

"Zeno thinks Ao is offering to help Yoon," said Zeno happily.

Shin Ah gave a small sniff. They all turned to look at him.

"Shin Ah, there is nothing to cry about," said Kija in alarm.

Shin Ah shook his head. "Nose… " he explained. "Whoa, I'm good."

"Oh, I see," observed Jae Ha. "Ao's tail tickled his nose on the way down."

Ao squeaked again, raising her paws in front of Yoon, whose eyes swam with tears.

"Ao!" he said tearfully. "You're the bestest squirrel in the whole wide world!"

"'Bestest'?" said Jae Ha. "Is that even a real word?"

Yoon glared at him.

"Jae Ha's feet are the stinkiest," he announced.

"What? You haven't even smelled them," protested Jae Ha.

"I can smell them a mile off."

Hak sniffed in distaste. "No wonder the air's been smelling funky."

"Yona, you ought to do something about this gang bullying… "

"Don't worry, Jae Ha," said Yona. "I don't think your feet stink."

"That's not what I meant…"

"Queen of subtle criticism," Hak muttered into the Green Dragon's ear.

Yoon squared his shoulders and screwed up his face. He began making his way around the group, taking the mildest of sniffs from the tips of everyone's footwear. His eyes were watering at the end of the ordeal.

"I'm sorry. I lost my sense of smell halfway," he said in a clogged-up voice. "Shin Ah, you're up."

Shin Ah – If you could be an animal, what would you be? Explain.

"Ao," said Shin Ah and Jae Ha at the same time. "Whoa, I'm good."

"Yup," added Jae Ha. "I have more or less mastered the art of mind-reading."

"Idiotic nonsense aside," said Yoon irritably, "you mean you want to be a squirrel, is that it Shin Ah?"

Shin Ah nodded as Ao gave a happy squeak.

"May I ask why?" inquired Yoon, looking as if he'd rather not know.

"So that I can save Yona," said the Blue Dragon softly. "Whoa, I'm good."

Lilli laughed. "She couldn't ask for a better guardian, Shin Ah."

Yona was touched. "Thank you, Shin Ah. You've done an excellent job of protecting me, and I couldn't ask for more."

"Zeno too! Zeno too!" cried the Yellow Dragon excitedly.

Yona smiled agreeably. "Yes, Zeno. You too."

Jae Ha nodded. "And let's not forget Hak, your dearest childhood friend and an eternal victim of unrequited lo – "

"A toast!" said Hak loudly, raising his arm so that it caught Jae Ha on the chin with the force of a sledgehammer. "Let's drink to the Happy Hungry Bunch."

The others raised invisible toasts as Yoon sighed and bent over Jae Ha.

"You know this is what happens when you annoy him."

Jae Ha gave a weak grin. "It's worth it."

Tae Jun – Who in this world would you want to make yours?

Tae Jun knew that there was no getting out of this one.

"The – the – the… " he stammered, sounding like an old man gasping for breath. "The… the… the Princess!"

Kija's mouth fell open. Quickly, everyone looked to see how the Princess would react.

"I know," said Yona bluntly. "His efforts to court me were very overt."

Jae Ha looked highly amused. Hak had turned black.

 _A few seconds of flirting and she gets his feelings, but not ten years of being her ward?_

 _Thunder Beast looks ready to blow,_ observed Yoon.

Jae Ha clapped Hak on the back. "Hang in there, Hak Huns."

"Jae Ha, are you deliberately trying to make things worse?" demanded Yoon.

Kija – Flash someone.

"I don't understand," said Kija. "What does this mean?"

"Neither do I," said Jae Ha.

"Liar," said Yoon. "I'll bet this is something only people like you understand perfectly."

"Don't lump me in with Droopy Eyes," said Hak.

"Thunder Beast, you know what it means?"

"This is somewhat more risque than the penalty," remarked M'Lady.

Yoon's jaw dropped. "You too, M'Lady?!"

"Well, we can't have a dare that outstrips the penalty," fretted Lilli.

"But what does it mean to flash someone?" asked Yona puzzledly.

"Well," said Hak uncertainly, "it involves a certain amount of exposure…"

"You don't have to pour honey on it, Hak," grinned Jae Ha. "Yona dear, do you what happens when a girl wears a dress and goes out on a windy day?"

"Stop," said Yoon sharply. He had more or less figured things out. "Stop right there. Yona doesn't need to hear any more."

Kija seemed to have gotten it as well.

"Never!" he cried. "I would sooner jump into a pit of scorpions than commit such a shameful deed!"

"Or you could disrobe," suggested Hak.

Kija turned red and began fidgeting with his fingers. "D-disrobe? Such a th-thing… cannot be… "

Yona felt sorry him. She turned toward Yoon.

"Is it possible to shoulder a penalty for someone else?"

"Yeah, but… " Yoon's eyes widened as he realised what the Princess meant. "You don't mean…?"

Before he could complete his sentence, Yona had planted a brief kiss on his neck.

Everyone was stunned into silence.

"It's alright now, Kija. I've taken the penalty for you," Yona told the White Dragon with a bright smile.

Kija looked permanently in shock. Yoon blushed a little. He didn't dare look at Hak, who, from what he could see out of the corner of his eye, was staring at Kija as though he had sighted his archenemy.

After what seemed an eternity, the Thunder Beast tore his eyes away from Kija. He grabbed a random stone and began to sharpen his axe on it.

"Well, well…" he said with a rather disturbing laugh. "It seems we're having snake stew tonight. Please look forward to it, everyone."

"Shin Ah," Jae Ha whispered to the Blue Dragon uneasily, "let's keep an eye on Hak before he commits the murder of the century, OK?"


	13. Chapter 13

Hey guys! I've been receiving some feedback about changing the pace of the story. While I'm not against this, the reason is because I didn't start this fanfic with the intention of having a concrete plot as it was supposed to be a fun and nonsensical diversion. Also, it's kind of hard to gauge the pacing from the writer's perspective, so I do apologise. But I also understand the need for the occasional filler which is what most of this chapter is for! So thank you for understanding :)

And of course, I have these lovely peeps to thank for their sensational contributions - NekoRyuuko, Mrs Zala, FangirlLife101, Queen Riptide Tall Shadow Pear, and KMCP Ai

...

Yoon stretched his arms languidly and cast a look at the darkening sky.

"Well, it's almost time to hit the hay," he announced.

"I suppose we should leave as well," said M'Lady, getting to her feet. "Will you be playing again, Yona and friends?"

"Hm, there's nothing to do while we're on the road, so why not?" shrugged Yoon. "I think we've earned ourselves a break, too."

"Stop by again tomorrow, M'Lady," beamed Yona.

 _She had to say,_ thought Hak wearily.

"M'Lady, I don't think this is a good idea… " whispered Tae Jun, looking unnerved by Hak's expression.

"Don't be silly, Tae Jun," said Lilli. "It's not everyday we get to play such a fantastic game. I'll see you tomorrow, guys!" she called, waving cheerily to the Happy Hungry Bunch.

The trio returned to the carriage.

 _Has the coachman been waiting there all this time?_ wondered Yoon, staring at it. _I feel sorry for him, although not as sorry as I do for Thunder Beast._

…

"It has been a most enjoyable day," smiled M'Lady. Her shawl lay draped on the seat beside her as the carriage rocked gently.

"I agree," said Lilli.

"I don't," said Tae Jun.

"Although it would have gone better if I had not been smothered under layers of silk," sighed M'Lady.

Tae Jun was frowning. "I'm against your returnig tomorrow, Your La – I mean, Your Majesty. What if Hak finds out your true identity? You told me what happened the last time you set eyes on each other."

"Which is precisely why none of us will say a word," said Soo Won, with a knowing smile.

"I'm still amazed how ladylike you can sound when you really get down to it," said Lilli. "And how is it that no one could recognise you?"

" _No one?_ " demanded Tae Jun. "Did you not see the way Hak kept glaring at him?"

"There is nothing he can do to confirm his suspicions," said Soo Won reassuringly.

"Still, risking your life just to play a game…!"

"I know, Tae Jun. I simply could not resist," laughed Soo Won, scratching his cheek in embarrassment. "An opportunity such as this was too hard for me to pass."

"Oh, give it a rest, Tae Jun," advised Lilli. "You want to see Yona again, don't you?"

Tae Jun reddened. "I – you – that is to say – "

"You'll get to see her again, and Soo Won and I'll get to have our fun. At the end of the day, everyone is happy, right?"

Tae Jun blushed even further and slumped down his seat.

…

"So what's for dinner?" asked Hak, stoking the fire. He seemed back to normal now that M'Lady and her escorts had left.

"It's right in front of you," said Yoon irritably. "It'll take us a few days to finish off the boar you hoarded. It _was_ pretty big, you know."

"A fine hunt," said Hak serenely.

"I thought we were having snake stew tonight," said Kija.

Yoon stiffened. Hak looked up with a smile.

"Oh, that's right," he said, intentionally stretching his words. "I'm glad you reminded me, White Snake. Or should I say, Soon-To-Be-White-Snake-Stew."

"What?" said Kija.

Shin Ah and Jae Ha surrounded the White Dragon at once.

Jae Ha put his arms around Kija and said in a cheerful voice, "Come on, Kija! Shall we eat together? Nothing beats bonding over a warm meal."

"Zeno too!" cried Zeno, who hadn't caught the drift and had zipped over the very picture of delight.

Jae Ha nodded enthusiastically. "Why not? And while we're at it, let's all share a tent tonight!"

"Don't we always?" pointed out Kija quizzically.

"I meant us Dragons and the lovely Princess Yona. Hak and Yoon can sleep together for the night."

" _Oh? That's news to me."_

Hak loomed over the Green Dragon with spear in hand, giving off dark waves of menace.

Dropping his head, Jae Ha shoved Kija into the larger tent.

"Go, Kija – leave me. Save yourself."

Yoon sighed and stood up.

"Thunder Beast, I thought I told you to tend the fire."

"It's OK, Yoon. I can do it," offered Yona cheerfully. "Ow!"

The Princess put her scorched finger into her mouth. Hak was at her side in an instant. Making use of the diversion, Jae Ha swept the Dragons into the tent.

"Guys, dinner is almost ready," Yoon informed the canvas.

Jae Ha's muffled reply came from within.

"It's OK! We'll skip it."

Yoon got up and pushed the flap aside. He stuck his head in. "If you're so worried about Kija, why don't you let Thunder Beast sleep with Yona?"

"And put Yona's chastity at sake?" said Jae Ha in horror.

Yoon narrowed his eyes dryly. "You really enjoy putting him down, don't you? Besides, do you think he'll actually turn Kija into stew?"

Arms still wrapped around Kija, Shin Ah nodded feverishly, his way of saying, "Without a doubt!"

"What's going on?" blinked Kija in confusion. "Shin Ah, why are you grabbing hold of me? I would like to eat."

"Is anything wrong?"

Yona's head popped into view, looking concerned. She studied the Dragons puzzledly. "Aren't you going to eat?" she asked.

"Hooray! Zeno will eat with Miss," declared Zeno, promptly bouncing out of the tent.

 _Traitor,_ thought Jae Ha.

"Come on, guys. I'm sure you must be famished after playing," cajoled Yona.

Jae Ha and Shin Ah reluctantly stepped out. They avoided Hak, who was sitting by the fire.

However, they didn't have to worry about him a second longer, because…

"Thunder Beast, I think I might have a fever, so you sleep with Yona tonight," said Yoon.

Hak went still, chopsicks poised in mid-air. Kija and Jae Ha were struck dumb.

"A fever?" asked Yona, peering at Yoon worriedly. "Are you OK? Do you need to take some medicine?"

"I'll be fine; a good night's rest is all I need," smiled Yoon. "The Dragons have strong bodies, so they won't catch my illness."

Hak managed to find his voice.

"Why me?" he demanded, setting his chopsticks down and staring at Yoon. "Zeno will manage just fine."

"Zeno will be too happy to sleep," said Yoon dryly.

No one could argue with that.

"Then get Shin Ah to do it," insisted Hak.

Shin Ah stiffened visibly.

''Will there be anything wrong if it's you?'' Yona questioned Hak, wide-eyed. She was surprised because he didn't have any objections last time.

"Fine," sighed Hak, when the Blue Dragon remained tense for almost a whole minute. "I'll sleep with you, Princess.''

Yona suddenly felt a little anxious.

 _Sorry Yona,_ thought Yoon, looking apologetically at the Princess. _It's the only way to stop Thunder Beast from murdering Kija._

…

Night fell, and the atmosphere in the large tent was nothing short of depressing.

Jae Ha lay with his back to the others.

"Yoon and Zeno are traitors," he pouted.

"You're really disappointed, aren't you?" said Yoon, turning to look at him with exasperation.

Zeno was also sulking.

"Zeno wanted to sleep with Miss," he said unhappily.

Kija's eyes were wide open.

"The Thunder Beast and the Princess… the Thunder Beast and the Princess… " he kept saying over and over.

Yoon sighed and gazed up at the canvas. It would be a miracle if any of them got to sleep that night.

…

It wasn't exactly a warm night, but for some reason Yona's back seared.

Looking over her shoulder, she was startled to find Hak gazing back at her.

"What's wrong, Princess?"

Yona quickly looked back to the front. "Nothing."

"It's not 'nothing'. Tell me."

"It's nothing. I just thought… you might be on fire."

"Huh?" Hak tilted his head in confusion. "Did you have a nightmare or something?"

Yona didn't answer. Her chest was unbearably tight again. She felt, rather than saw, Hak smile.

"You don't have to be frightened, Princess. It's just a nightmare."

"I'm not frightened!"

"Do you want to cuddle?"

"Argh! I really hate this side of you!"

Hak laughed softly. The tightness in Yona's chest increased. She clutched her gown nervously.

The movement didn't go unnoticed. Hak propped himself up, frowning.

"Your chest again?"

Yona shook her head. Hak sighed.

"Princess, do you know that wearing tight-fitting clothes could lead to breathing problems?"

Yona bit her lip. "I... I don't know why, but it only happens when you're around, Hak..."

Something flickered in Hak's eyes. He bent close to the Princess's ear.

"Princess, is it really your gown that's feeling constricted?"

"Wha- ?"

The sensation of Hak's breath caused the intense pressure in Yona's chest to dissipate, and instead her heart began to drum violently. She didn't dare turn around. Hak had moved so close she could feel his warmth against her back. She closed her eyes as he spoke into her ear again.

"Princess - "

"MIIIIIIIISSSSSSSSSSSS!"

Something sailed through the entrance of the tent and rammed into Hak.

"Z-Zeno?" Yona gaped at the figure in bemusement.

 _"Zeno had a nightmare that Miss was kidnapped!"_

Hak was still for a moment. Then –

 _"Who's your Miss?!"_

"Whoa!" Zeno leapt back before Hak could blow.

Just then, Jae Ha's face appeared.

"Nice work, Zeno!" he grinned, giving him a thumbs-up.

Hak was frustrated… he had been on the brink of uncovering something when the Yellow Dragon had turned up. But hearing Jae Ha's words made him snap.

" _Droopy Eyes..._ " he growled, cracking his knuckles as a storm blew up around him. " _When I'm done with you, you're going to be known as No-Eyes…"_

"Uh oh." Jae Ha ducked out. Hak stomped after him.

A second later, the night air was filled with the sound of the Green Dragon's shrieks.

"Will you keep it down? We're trying to sleep," called Yoon irritably, having poked his head out of the large tent. "Zeno, come back here."

In the end, Hak returned to the small tent and fell asleep from sheer frustration.

Jae Ha spent the rest of the night out cold under the stars.

Yona was saved from further interrogation and slept a peaceful sleep.

…

The carriage trundled in first thing in the morning.

Lilli's eyes were sparkling as she stepped out, Tae Jun and Soo Won in her wake.

"Good morning, everyone!" she squealed exuberantly. "Let's get the ball rolling!"

As they got ready to sit in the usual ring, Yoon indicated ten names he had drawn in the dirt, all laid out in a circle.

"I've drawn up the new sitting arrangements," he said in a business-like manner. "We'll be starting with Shin Ah today."

"Why am I with Droopy Eyes again?" demanded Hak, examining the dirt with displeasure. "And why is M'Lady beside the Princess? Did I miss something?"

Yoon shrugged. "It was a random arrangement."

"I've never heard of such a thing."

"Look, Thunder Beast – it's the rules. I can't intervene."

"It seems we are destined to be together, Yona," said Soo Won, turning smiling eyes upon Yona. The Princess smiled back, and Hak's expression changed so much no one dared to look at him.

"Shin Ah, you don't have to do your dare anymore," Yoon informed him. "A new game means a fresh slate."

Shin Ah nodded and reached for a slip.

Shin Ah – Who would you rape in this group?

There were audible gasps from Kija, Lilli and Tae Jun.

Hak stole a glance at Yona. The Princess simply looked blank.

Shin Ah was staring at his slip.

Suddenly, the Blue Dragon shook his head frantically and thrust the slip back into the pile.

"N – no!" he said anxiously. What was visible of his face had flushed.

Kija was overcome with emotion. He grabbed Shin Ah's shoulders.

"You're the purest of us all, Shin Ah," he said tearfully. "Here is a toast to you, Brother of the Moonlight!"

As the White Dragon clinked his cup against Shin Ah's, Jae Ha said, "Kija, you don't need an excuse to drink in the morning."

"It's only tea," Yoon told him.

"I know. I just wanted to tease him."

"That personality will bring about your doom."

"Ha ha ha! What a thing to say."

Lilli – When was the most appropriate time that you farted?

"HUH?!" Lilli looked scandalised as she spluttered. "When was the time that I… _WHAT?_ "

Kija and Tae Jun had raised their hands to their mouths.

"You're all overreacting," placated Jae Ha. "What's wrong with letting loose once in a while?"

"What's wrong?" exclaimed Tae Jun. "It is a forbidden subject!"

"Really?" said Hak. "You can say that after hearing about Droopy Eyes's… side deeds?"

Tae Jun looked confused. "What are you talking about?"

"Apparently, the memory of it was so bad, his brain cancelled it out," said Lilli.

Tae Jun - Do a "knight style oath" with a girl of your choice. If you're a girl get another guy to do it.

Hak's face was like a thunderstorm.

Tae Jun knelt before the Princess. Summoning up his courage, he breathed, "Princess Yona, I take you to be my partner and one true love … "

"WRONG!" Yoon ground a fist into Tae Jun's head. "A knight style oath, not a wedding vow!"

"I'm sorry; I was not thinking clearly," gasped Tae Jun. The moment he stared into the Princess's eyes, all rational thoughts had flown out of his head. He bowed his head again.

"Princess Yona, will you take me, Kan Tae Jun, to be your lawfully wedded …?"

Yoon's fist sank into Tae Jun's scalp again. "Do it right already!"

"Get it together, Tae Jun," encouraged Lilli.

Yona took Tae Jun's hand with her left and used her right to pat the top of it.

"It's OK to be nervous, Tae Jun," she said soothingly. "Take deep breaths."

"Yona dear, I'm not sure that you're helping," said Jae Ha, as Hak's eyes crackled and Tae Jun's face bloomed like a thousand roses.

Tae Jun's voice sounded a little high as he said, "Princess Yona, I swear to defend your body and soul to the very last of my breath."

Lilli and Zeno clapped enthusiastically.

"Well, that was easy," remarked Jae Ha. "Of course, oath or no, there will always be one true knight willing to stand for his beloved Princess, even if his love isn't reciproc – "

WHOOSH! Jae Ha leapt before Hak's spear could annihilate him.

"Hak, a spear is not a toy to play with," scolded Soo Won with a barely audible hint of amusement in her tone.

"Who gave you permission to call me by name?" scowled Hak. "What are you doing here anyway? What happened to ruling the kingdom?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about," said Soo Won coolly.

 _Now he's toying with me?_ seethed Hak. _Or is she really a Lady from a foreign land?_

"Hak, I don't know why you're always being rude to M'Lady, but if you keep this up you're going to get a penalty," frowned Yona.

Jae Ha flashed a wink at the Princess. "Way to go, Yona."

"Jae Ha, I suggest you keep quiet before Thunder Beast really removes your eyes," said Yoon.


	14. Chapter 14

**Latest update: Hey guys! I'm afraid I won't be writing anymore AnY chapters for the time being, the reason being that I wish to commit to my other fanfic that is based on Kuroko no Basuke. While it has been loads of fun, at the same time I need an intermission because this fic actually takes a chunk of time to write. I hope you will understand and hopefully I will be able to get back to this before it becomes a living memory xD Once more, thank you to everyone for sticking around until this point and also to those who have helped me tremendously with their wonderful suggestions!**

 **Until then,**

 **etiatu**

...

Adding to the growing list of peeps I owe my heartfelt thanks to – NekoRyuuko, Mrs Zala, FangirlLife101, Queen Riptide Tall Shadow Pear, KMCP Ai and SnowyOwl765.

Note to SnowyOwl765: I was notified of your comments in my email inbox but for some reason your reviews didn't show up in the reviews section, so I couldn't give a reply, although since you're a guest I wouldn't be able to PM you either. Oh well. Anyways, just wanted to say thank you so much for reading my story and also for the awesome ideas :D

Additional note: OK, no wonder; I read that there's been a recent glitch of reviews not showing since Dec 2015. Thankfully though I am still receiving them via email.

...

Yoon – Sing a duet with the person to your left.

Yoon glanced at Hak, who had stiffened.

"Is it still a duet if one of them is tone-deaf?" remarked Jae Ha.

"Is it still a duet if one of them is a beast?" chimed in Kija.

"Do you numbskulls have 'suicide' engraved on your brains?" demanded Yoon.

Hak looked relatively calm, but his words told otherwise.

"Is it still a duet if two morons die sudden deaths?" he asked dangerously.

Yoon swallowed. "Th-Thunder Beast, calm down… "

"Please do not get on the warpath, Hak," said Soo Won. "This is a good chance to impress Yona."

"In fact, it's a good chance to eliminate the Princess's hearing once and for all," muttered Tae Jun.

Hak was behind Tae Jun at once. His entire body overflowed with a murderous aura.

"Yay! We finally get to hear Hak sing," exclaimed Yona suddenly, putting her hands together in delight.

Hak's murderous aura vanished. Instead, he looked dumbstruck.

"Nice save, Yona," sighed Yoon with relief. "Thunder Beast, I'll make it quick, so don't start going on a killing spree, alright?"

Hak had never been in a worse mood. He stalked back to his place, looking like he'd sooner be anywhere.

"I think I'll forfeit," he said crossly.

"What? But why?" Yona was highly disappointed. Her gaze dropped, and her face became glum. "But… but I wanted to hear Hak sing…"

Hak was put on the spot. _Does she want to hear me sing that badly?_ He didn't know if the thought made him happy or annoyed.

"There, there, Miss," said Zeno, stroking Yona's head comfortingly. "Some people would rather strip than please their princesses."

"Zeno, I'm not sure you're improving the situation at all," growled Yoon.

He was wrong. Yona's display of forlornness struck Hak somewhere deep.

"It had better be short," he told Yoon tetchily.

Yona's face lit up like fireworks.

"Yay! Hak, be sure to do your best, OK?"

Soo Won smiled. Yona could be like a child sometimes.

Yoon was telling Hak what to sing. Hak's face grew sour the longer he spoke.

Finally, Yoon announced, "OK, everyone. We're ready to start."

Jae Ha was trying to hold in his laughter. Tae Jun seemed to be bracing himself.

Yoon looked at Hak and nodded. They both opened their mouths.

" _Long, long ago, when the big red sun was gobbled up, and the world was stained black… "_

Yoon sang quite normally, like he would strolling through the woods. But Hak sounded like every word had to be dragged out of him.

As they continued to sing, it got more difficult for Jae Ha to keep a straight face. Lilli didn't seem to know what expression to put on. On the other hand, Yona was beaming happily. It reminded Soo Won of a mother watching her child's first performance.

When the song ended, Hak narrowed his eyes so much he looked like he was trying to read extremely miniscule writing.

Yona applauded enthusiastically.

"That was wonderful, Hak! Wasn't it, Lilli?"

"Yeah." Lilli gave a halfhearted smile. "What did you think, M'Lady?"

"I think Hak put up a brave performance," said Soo Won smoothly. "What did you think, Kija?" he asked Kija who was next to him.

The White Dragon was wearing the same expression as Hak.

"As someone who strives to be honest," he said monotonously, "I think Hak's singing would be fitting for a funeral."

Jae Ha, who couldn't take it anymore, burst into raucous laughter. Fortunately, Hak was too busy reliving what he had just did to pay any heed to his surroundings.

Pitying him, Yoon took it upon himself to draw the Thunder Beast's slip.

Hak – You are now the target of a dogpile.

"Alright! Let's tackle him while he's still in shock!" yelled Zeno as soon as Yoon had read out the dare.

"Sounds like fun," grinned Jae Ha, and he and the Yellow Dragon sprang toward Hak, the Yellow Dragon pulling a startled Shin Ah along.

In that instant, Hak recovered his wits.

"Not on my watch!" he yelled, leaping out of the way on time. Jae Ha, Shin Ah and Zeno hit the ground where he had been sitting moments before, but they were up like a shot. Soon, Hak found himself being chased by two overexcited (plus one flabbergasted) Dragons.

"What's going on?" blinked Yona, as Yoon watched the antics with weary exasperation.

"Apparently, we're all supposed to pile on top of Hak," said the young genius with a sigh.

"Really? Wow! It _does_ sound like fun!"

"Huh? Hey, don't tell me you're – ?"

Before Yoon could finish his question, Yona was heading straight into the fray.

"Yona!" shouted Yoon in alarm. With mild chuckle, Soo Won picked himself up and went after the Princess.

"Argh! Not you too, M'Lady!"

"Don't worry, Yoon! I will retrieve them," promised Kija, and promptly ran after the 'two' ladies.

"M'Lady!" gasped Tae Jun. "Lilli, we have to go after hi – her!"

"It's alright," said Lilli. "M'Lady is one who knows how to stay out of trouble."

Hak, who had been running back and forth under the trees, looked back to find that his chasers had increased in numbers.

"How on earth did it come to this?" he yelled, putting on a burst of speed.

" _HAK!"_

A figure rammed into him from the sidelines, and Hak found himself on the ground with Yona's arms wrapped around him.

"Princess?" Hak was literally and figuratively floored. "What are you – ?"

"Everyone, over here! I've got him!" called Yona, squeezing Hak with all her might.

 _Is this a dream?_ wondered Hak, gazing in bewilderment at the Princess. _If it is, God forbid me from waking up –_

"FOUND YOU!"

Like a tidal wave, the chasers burst into the scene and flung themselves on top of Hak.

In an instant, Hak was drowning in humans and Dragons. Kija and Soo Won remained the only bystanders.

Kija grabbed his face in a panic. "Stop it! You're smothering the Princess!"

Soo Won strode toward the heaving mass and managed to pull out Yona, who was unscathed.

Kija ran up to the Princess. "Princess! Are you OK?"

"I'm fine," laughed Yona. "It got a little wild, but it was kind of fun."

It took a long time, but after the whole mess was finally sorted out, the game was resumed.

"Things sure got crazy back there," chortled Jae Ha, dusting off his robes.

"If there ever was an understatement," growled Hak. "I'm black and blue all over."

"Sorry, Hak. We went a little overboard," said Zeno, grinning broadly.

"You're the one who started it!"

"But Hak, you're not upset at all, are you?" smirked Jae Ha. "After all, it was worth being mobbed when it gave you an opportunity to be embraced so passionately by Yo – "

WHAM. Hak's fist flattened the Green's Dragon's face.

"Hm? An opportunity to what?" asked Yona curiously.

"Yona, if you want to save Jae Ha's life, I'd suggest not probing further," said Yoon grimly.

Jae Ha – If you could go back to the past, where would you go? Tell the tale.

"Well, I would pay a visit to little Yona of course. Then I'll be her loving older brother and earn her trust – "

"And be murdered by a mysterious black-haired boy," finished Yoon.

Jae Ha laughed mildly. "That was just a joke. Let's see... I would go back to when Captain Gigan was an alluring young flower. Then I'll compliment her on her looks and hit on her - "

"And be killed by said woman before the day is over," finished Yoon.

"Yoon, you can never pen a fairytale."

"It's called being a realist."

"I think we've got the gist of it," said Hak irritably. "Moving on…"

Kija – Have someone draw a unibrow on your face.

"HAHAHAHAHAHA!" Jae Ha pounded the ground in his mirth.

Kija looked horrified and pressed fingers over his eyebrows.

"A - a _unibrow?_ " he gasped loudly.

"Well, I've got a brush and some ink we can use," said Yoon nonchalantly, as though drawing unibrows on people was a daily affair. "The problem is… Kija's brows are white. And the ink is black. So what should we do?"

Jae Ha was still in his own world. Hak's shoulders heaved harder. Yoon looked irritated.

"Could you please cooperate? If we don't do this, Kija will have no choice but to strip."

Kija paled at his words. Yona reached over and patted him on the back.

"Don't worry, Kija," she said reassuringly. "If it comes down to it, I'll protect you."

Kija shook his head. "Do not say that, Princess! It is I who should be protecting you!"

Lilli looked sympathetic.

"Let's just use the black ink," she said. "It doesn't have to be uniform in colour."

Yoon nodded agreeably. "Alright. Black it is."

When the deed was done, Hak and Jae Ha could barely keep their eyes open long enough to appreciate Yoon's masterpiece.

"I am too ashamed to call myself the White Dragon… " murmured Kija, hugging his knees tightly.

"I don't see why not," sighed Yoon. "You just look like you have some dirt on your face. No reason to beat yourself up."

"No reason to beat yourself up," agreed Zeno, patting Kija's shoulder soothingly.

"Like I said, you're not helping," snapped Yoon at the Yellow Dragon.

"Kija, trying waggling your eyebrows, won't you?" choked out Jae Ha, before lapsing into uncontrollable laughter again.

"Just you wait," said Kija, grinding his teeth furiously. "Your turn will come soon enough."

Soo Won – Explain to the person you like least here why you like them the least.

Soo Won scratched the fabric over his cheek.

"This is indeed a problem," he said. "I have no one I like the least. None at all."

"Right. And I'm your blood mother," said Hak sarcastically. "Out with it already. It's me, isn't it?"

"Why would it be you, Hak?" asked Yona in shock.

"I have no idea what you are talking about, Hak," said Soo Won in innocent tones.

"Drop the act," snapped Hak. "You can't fool me, _M'Lady._ "

"You'll have to forgive Hak, M'Lady," said Jae Ha. "He can be a little paranoid. It shows in his character."

"If M'Lady says there is no one, there is no one," said Yona. "Right, Shin Ah?"

Shin Ah looked a little startled to be asked for his opinion, but he nodded.

"I believe M'Lady," he said quietly.

"Winning ladies over isn't easy, Hak," teased Jae Ha.

"Shut up, Jae Buns," growled Hak.

Yona – How old were you when you saw someone (other than a relative) naked for the first time?

Yona blushed. "I haven't," she said, as though afraid of objection.

"Other than Shin Ah, the Princess possesses the purest heart in all the lands," declared Kija. "Of course that would be her answer."

Jae Ha laughed. "Then what would that make me?"

"Filth," said Hak mercilessly.

"Ouch," said Jae Ha. "Hak, you little heartbreaker."

"Oh! Does this mean it's Zeno's turn now?" exclaimed Zeno, rolling forward on his belly. "Zeno can't wait!"

Zeno – Tickle the person to your right until they beg you to stop.

"Shin Ah, restrain him!" cried Kija at once. "We must protect the Princess!"

"Protect her from what, exactly?" asked Yoon.

Shin Ah made to grab Zeno, but the Yellow Dragon slipped out of his grasp.

"Miss – Zeno wants your permission to tickle you!" he said happily.

"Huh? You don't need permission for that," said Yona, surprised.

Hak had settled back with an easy grin. "Want me to hold her down for you, Zeno?"

"You traitor!" shouted Kija. "Shin Ah, hurry!"

Shin Ah caught hold of Zeno by his waist. Zeno began to laugh and squirm.

"Ahahahaha! Stop it, Shin Ah! You're tickling Zeno!"

Shin Ah hesitated. "But Yona is in danger… "

"OK, OK! Zeno promises not to tickle Miss! Let Zeno go! Please!"

Obligingly, Shin Ah let go of Zeno. The Yellow Dragon gasped for breath.

"Shin Ah kept his promise, so Zeno will too," he said. "Zeno will forfeit!"

In a dramatic gesture, the Yellow Dragon took off his scarf and laid it out neatly beside him.

"What a brilliant sacrifice!" sobbed Jae Ha, pretending to wipe away a tear.

"Jae Ha, please don't encourage him," said Yoon dryly.

"Well, you must admit," said Jae Ha, reverting back to his normal self, "it's not easy to shed crocodile tears."

"I see," said Yoon, more dryly than ever. _So he was just showing off._

Shin Ah – Get someone to put something in your mouth and guess what it is. If you guess wrong you have to choose another slip.

"Let's slip in Ao's tail," said Jae Ha.

Ao gave a squeak and hid herself behind Shin Ah.

"Don't be mean, Jae Ha," scolded Yona.

"Relax. I was only joking," chuckled the Green Dragon.

"What happened to being emotional?" questioned Yoon.

"How about a mudball?" suggested Hak.

"Hak!" frowned Yona sternly. "Even if you're my childhood friend, I won't allow you to play such mean pranks."

 _What did I do?_ wondered Hak, raising his brows inquisitively.

Yoon glanced around the vicinity. "I can't think of anything we can use, though."

Yona suddenly hit upon an idea.

"Close your eyes, Shin Ah," she said. "I'm going to put something in your mouth."

Obediently, Shin Ah opened wide.

"There we go," said Yona, clasping her hands happily. "Guess what it is, Shin Ah!"

Shin Ah could taste a familiar flavour.

"Ao," he said. "Ao's acorn."

"Princess, you sure went easy on him," remarked Hak.

Yona shook her head. "Nope; it's not Ao's acorn. I found it a while ago. It's mine."

Shin Ah simply sat there blankly.

Jae Ha laughed. "Yona dear, I never knew you to be so ruthless."

"Speak for yourself," snapped Kija, wrinkling his unibrow indignantly.

"Sorry, Shin Ah. You're going to have to take another slip," said Yoon apologetically.

Shin Ah – Seduce and kiss the person opposite you on the neck.

Jae Ha spread out his arms at once. "Lay it on me, Shin Ah."

"Shin Ah, run away as fast as you can," said Yoon in horror.

Shin Ah did neither. He shook his head and proceeded to detach one of his gloves.

"Ooh..." Hak applauded softly. "Nice going, Shin Ah."

Jae Ha whistled. "Huh. Not bad."

"I'm sure I would have done exactly the same," said Yoon wryly.

"Then you don't know me well enough," grinned Jae Ha.

"I thought you don't do men," said Hak with distaste.

"'Do'?" Jae Ha pretended to draw back in horror. "Hak, how could you use this choice of word in front of the innocent Yona?"

"Forget it," growled Hak, as a vein throbbed on his temple. "Your eternal obnoxiousness is one thing that's incurable."


	15. Chapter 15

_Welp!_ I'm back, guys! I am so sorry for the long hiatus… My life underwent a major overhaul and so much has happened within the year itself. In fact, there was one point where I thought I had to give up on writing fanfics, so I'm really glad that hurdle's been cleared. And now that I've settled down, I can finally resume my writing! Owing to scheduling conflicts, I can't guarantee that my updates will be as regular as before, but I will try my best to work around it. Thank you so much for your patience!

...

Lilli – For the rest of the game, begin everything you say with, "All hail King Hiryuu!"

"All hail King Hiryuu!" exclaimed Lilli. "This is going to be a mouthful."

Zeno's arms shot up enthusiastically. _"All hail King Hiryuu!"_

"You don't have to join in," snapped Yoon.

"Is this really a good idea? What if we are mistaken for rebels?" asked Kija, casting worried looks all around, as if someone was trying to eavesdrop on them from the shadows.

"Indeed," said Hak, with a significant look at Soo Won. "If His Majesty himself were to pass us by when Lilli utters those words, he might have all of us beheaded."

"Oh, you don't have to worry about that," assured Tae Jun. "His Majesty is right h– "

He gasped so suddenly, everyone stared at him.

"Oh?" said Hak wryly. "His Majesty is right h– ? Whatever do you mean, Your Highness? Do finish your sentence."

"I, uh…"

Tae Jun stuttered incomprehensibly. Lilli was frowning at him, as if to say, _Now you've done it._

Hak continued to stare expectantly at the Prince. Yona had jerked her head to one side. The Dragons also looked puzzled.

"His Majesty is… is right-handed!" stammered Tae Jun at last.

Kija eyed him in exasperation. "And? What does that have to do with the dare?"

"Zeno is right-handed too!" announced Zeno, thrusting his hand in front of Kija's face so suddenly it made the White Dragon fall over on his back.

"ARGH! I didn't ask you!"

"All hail King Hiryuu! His Majesty isn't the kind who beheads people for playing a game anyway," said Lilli, brushing the matter off.

"I'm more worried about the soldiers," said Yoon apprehensively. "But like what Lilli said, it would be foolish for any of us to be beheaded for such a reason, especially in the presence of three high-standing nobles."

"Including a very high-standing one," chimed in Hak, narrowed eyes still fixed on Soo Won.

Soo Won smiled. "If anyone tries to behead us, I can assure you I will intervene."

"Our lives are in your hands, M'Lady," said Jae Ha, inclining his head graciously. "Come, Shin Ah. Give the respectable lady a bow, too."

He leaned forward and reached for the back of Shin Ah's head as if to push it down, but the Blue Dragon felt Jae Ha's fingers fasten on the string of his mask.

Shin Ah was ten feet in the air before Jae Ha could react.

"Whoa!" cried Tae Jun, ducking as the breeze from Shin Ah's flight ruffled his hair.

"Shin Ah, come back! I was just kidding!" laughed Jae Ha, when Shin Ah wrapped himself around a tree and refused to come down.

"Can he fly?" asked Soo Won, watching the Blue Dragon with fascination.

"No," said Yona with a shake of her head. "But Jae Ha can jump really well."

"Zeno too! Zeno too!" cried Zeno, bouncing up and down so wildly he almost ended up on the Princess's lap.

"Will you calm down already, you overzealous beast?" shouted Yoon.

"Zeno knows how to aim," laughed the Yellow Dragon, coasting to a stop. "Zeno would never hurt Miss."

"It's all right, Yoon. No harm done," consoled Yona.

"I'm almost tempted to change your spot," sighed Yoon. "Perhaps you should sit between me and the Prince."

"No!" yelped Zeno, grabbing Yona as if Yoon had just threatened to send her to the gallows.

Tae Jun's face lit up. "A wise choice, Yoon! Princess, why don't you come over here?"

"Oh?" Hak, who was two spots away from Tae Jun, leaned forward ominously. "And why does the Princess have to listen to a backstabbing Prince like you?"

"Me, a backstabber?" protested Tae Jun. "I risked my life healing the sick and wounded– "

"Two rights don't make one wrong, Your Nobleness."

"Don't start fighting, you two," Yona told them off. "Hak, didn't I say I already forgave Tae Jun for everything he's done?"

Tae Jun gave the Princess a look of pure gratitude. "Princess…"

Hak straightened back up, his face blacker than ever. Jae Ha jabbed him in the ribs.

"There now, Hak Huns. If it's any consolation, you still have a chance to gain Yona's lo– "

"Droopy Eyes, if it's any consolation, I suggest you remain silent before I slice off your tongue."

Tae Jun – What are your greatest strength and weakness?

Shin Ah returned, but he sat a little further back, as if afraid that Jae Ha would attempt to pull one on him again.

"His greatest strength would be throwing people off of cliffs," declared Hak, scowling at the Prince.

Tae Jun went scarlet. "What? That's not true!"

"And his weakness would be harrassing Princesses."

"Aren't you talking about yourself, Hak Huns?" grinned Jae Ha.

Hak rounded on him when Yona blurted, "Yes. But in Hak's case, he bullies everyone."

"Hang in there, Thunder Beast," said Yoon worriedly, clapping Hak on the back.

Jae Ha was in stitches. "Yona dear, you couldn't have said it better!"

With a yell, Hak flew at the Green Dragon.

"Get behind me, M'Lady!" shouted Kija, as he and M'Lady were seated right next to the tusslers. But next moment the White Dragon was pulled into the fight.

"Noooooo– !"

Looking unnerved, Taae Jun edged away from the melee. Yona gave a small sigh and turned to the Prince.

"Don't worry about them, Tae Jun. Go on – answer the question."

Tae Jun was startled. "You're not going to stop them, Princess?"

"Pay them no heed, Your Highness," Yoon told him, also exasperated. "You should be used to those beasts' antics by now."

By this time, Zeno had also hurled himself into the frail.

 _"Cannon ball!"_

Shin Ah seemed alarmed by the growing pandemonium. He kept staring at them with his mouth open.

"Shin Ah, come join the party too!" called Jae Ha, laughing despite the fact that his clothes were torn and his face was covered in dirt.

"Come join us, Shin Ah!" Zeno beckoned to the Blue Dragon.

"You have nothing to do with this, Zeno," Hak told him in annoyance. Kija, who had been lying on the ground in defeat, sprang up furiously

"Neither was I, you uncouth beast! Look what you've done to my clothes!"

The White Dragon flashed him his ragged robes. Hak appraised them unconcernedly.

"I think it's an improvement."

As Kija's eyes shot flames, Tae Jun voiced out his answer to Yona and the others.

"My greatest strength would be courting Princesses, and my greatest weakness would be throwing people off of cliffs."

"Uh.. Isn't this the Thunder Beast's answer in flipped order?" demanded Yoon.

"All hail King Hiryuu! And how is courting Princesses a strength?" asked Lilli in confusion.

Soo Won gave a small laugh. "At least he's honest."

"All hail King Hiryuu!" exclaimed Zeno happily from twenty feet away.

When things finally settled down, Yoon decided it was safe to read out his slip.

Yoon – Do you have a crush on someone?

"No," said the young genius flatly. "Next!"

"I believe there's been a mistake, Yoon," said Jae Ha. "That question was definitely meant for H– "

Hak silenced him with a glare. Yoon had threatened not to mend their clothes if they fought any further.

"All hail King Hiryuu! You're still a little young to be having crushes, Yoon," Lilli told the genius in motherly tones, as Zeno echoed, " _All hail King Hiryuu!"_ "Give it another ten years or so."

Jae Ha chortled as Yoon grew indignant. " _Ten years?_ Just how old do you think I am?"

Lilli blinked. "All hail King Hiryuu! You're around twelve, aren't you?"

 _"All hail King Hiryuu!"_

"I'm fifteen! And be quiet, you!" barked Yoon at Zeno. "Anyway, isn't twelve a little too old to wait another ten years for a crush?!"

"Precisely," nodded Jae Ha wisely. "In fact, Hak found his one true love when he was just a wee little la– "

Yoon slapped his hand over the Green Dragon's mouth. "Jae Ha, don't make me tear up the rest of your clothes."

Hak – If you had to spend an eternity with one person here, who would it be?

Yoon, who was about to remove his hand from Jae Ha's mouth, stopped in time. Whatever the Green Dragon had in mind to say came out in an unintelligible garble.

"The Princess," sighed Hak, as if he knew there was no escape.

"Of course," said Kija unexpectedly. "It is your duty as the Princess's guardian to serve her to the end of days."

"Yes." Hak gave the group a smug smile. "Well said, White Snake."

Lilli sighed wistfully. "All hail King Hiryuu! I wish I had a guardian with such unwavering loyalty."

"I'm yours for XXXXXXXXXX rin," Hak told her mildly.

Lilli's mouth fell open. "WHAT? I mean – all hail King Hiryuu! Not even His Majesty can afford that!"

"You avaricious traitor!" yelled Kija, his unevenly-coloured unibrow furrowed in his anger. "Is money all you can think about? Now that I recall, you tried to make off with my bribery money the first time we met! You really are an uncouth beast!"

Hak looked unconcerned. "Says the one who grew up well-fed and pampered his whole life."

"Princess!" Kija turned to face Yona, puffed up with rage. "You should cast aside this repulsive man and find yourself a new guardian!"

"Calm down, Kija!" said Yona reassuringly. "Hak is just joking. If he really wanted money that badly, he would never have followed me all this time."

"And they say that snakes are intelligent." Hak spread out his hands as if to say, _What a pity._

"Jae Ha, stop Kija from dealing collateral damage," ordered Yoon, as the White Dragon stood up, claws extended.

"Ayeuffeufyeheh," said Jae Ha.

Yoon took his hand off his mouth. _"What?"_

"I said I will if you remove your hand," said the Green Dragon with a charming smile.

"Oh, all right!"

As Jae Ha restrained Kija, and Hak stared coolly off into space, Yona drew the Green Dragon's slip and read it out for him.

Jae Ha – Sing a duet with the person on your left.

"Oh look, Kija! It's our time to shine!" exclaimed Jae Ha, as the White Dragon struggled to break free. "Pick a song! I'll accompany it with some flute music!"

"Jae Ha, you're supposed to sing too," pointed out Yoon.

Kija gave up on attacking Hak and sat back down, looking irate. Jae Ha thumped him on the back.

"Good man! Or should I say – good Dragon!"

"So White Snake and Droopy Eyes will be singing this time?" grinned Hak. "I can't wait. Let's see how much better White Snake does compared to someone whose singing is 'fitting for a funeral'."

It turned out that the only song Kija and Jae Ha both knew was the one Yoon had sung, so they went with it.

" _Long, long ago, when the big red sun was gobbled up, and the world was stained black… "_

But no sooner had they finished the first line than Jae Ha choked on laughter.

"What's wrong?" demanded Kija, startled.

"Sorry," gasped Jae Ha. "Your singing reminded me of the first time Yona tried playing the _erhu_ …"

As Kija stared at him blankly, Hak couldn't suppress his laugh either.

Kija scowled at the Thunder Beast. Yona felt sorry for him.

"Don't worry about it, Kija. I think your voice is beautiful."

Hak wiped the tears from his eyes. He shook his head and sighed piteously. "Look what you did, White Snake. You made the Princess tell her first blatant lie."

"ARGH!" Kija flew at Hak like a madman.

"Kija, that's enough! It's your turn now," shouted Yoon over the noise that followed.

Kija – If you could bring someone back to life who would it be?

Kija stiffened. So did Jae Ha.

 _Uh oh. We've touched on a sensitive subject…_

"If I could bring someone back to life…" said Kija. He paused, looking embarrassed. "I…I would bring back the Princess's mother."

Jae Ha blinked. _That was unexpected._ He thought Kija would have mentioned his father.

Yona was touched. "Thank you, Kija," she said with a bright smile.

Jae Ha thumped Kija on the back. "You've earned my respect, Kija."

"Zeno too!" cried Zeno, as Shin Ah nodded.

"Me too," said Hak solemnly. "I'm sorry for provoking you, White Snake. I know the truth can hurt sometimes."

Kija flew at him again.

Yoon exhaled. _Will they never stop?_

Soo Won – Embrace anyone as tightly as you can for thirty seconds.

" _No,_ " said Hak loudly. All eyes turned to him. The Thunder Beast was scowling at Soo Won.

Soo Won smiled warmly. "What's wrong, Hak? Were you perhaps expecting me to hug you?"

"Hak, you big pervert! As if hugging the adorable Princess wasn't enough," reprimanded Jae Ha.

Yona frowned. "Hak, don't be disrespectful towards M'Lady. If you want to hug girls, do it when you visit the next red-light district."

Jae Ha shook with laughter. Hak kept himself from punching the Green Dragon's teeth in.

"The Princess is off-limits," he told Soo Won directly.

Soo Won laughed good-naturedly. "How protective of you. Don't worry, Hak. I'll save Yona for her special someone."

Hak blanched as Yona asked puzzledly, "'Special someone'?"

"He means your future husband," said Yoon without preamble.

Kija blushed. "F-Future husband? _The Princess's?"_

For some reason, Yona found herself staring at Hak. _My future husband…? I've never really thought about it before…_

Her thoughts were scattered when Soo Won turned to Tae Jun.

"Noble Tae Jun, I'm afraid I must subject you to one of my selfish whims."

"Huh?" said Tae Jun, but Soo Won was already embracing him.

Lilli's mouth dropped open. Jae Ha looked fascinated.

"Using one's authority to fulfil immoral desires, huh?" he said approvingly. "That's my kind of style."

"Not now, Droopy Eyes," said Hak wearily.

Tae Jun had turned pale, and he remained so after Soo Won released him.

"Are you OK, Tae Jun?" asked Yona with some concern. "You look like you're in shock."

"He was just embraced by a beautiful dame, Yona dear," Jae Ha told her affably. "It's a normal side effect. If you don't believe me, you can give Hak a loving embra– "

"How about I do it with you?" growled Hak, wrapping his arm around Jae Ha's neck and squeezing with all his might.

"Thunder Beast, you're killing him," said Yoon warily, as Jae Ha steadily turned purple.

Yona – Say "karate chop" at the end of your sentence for one round

Yona grinned. "This sounds fun! Karate chop!"

"Pork chops!" shouted Zeno brightly.

"That was unnecessary," snapped Yoon.

Hak snorted. "You're just like a kid, Princess."

Yona was abashed. "No, I'm not! Karate chop!"

Hak laughed even harder. Tae Jun was looking at the Princess with mesmerised eyes.

 _Oh, Princess! I wish I could hold you…_

"All hail King Hiryuu! Would you cut that out? It's creepy," Lilli informed Tae Jun.

Tae Jun was snapped awake. "H-Huh? My apologies…"

Yona continued to pout. Jae Ha said with a grin, "Yona dear, if you want to show Hak you're not a kid, there are a few simple ways to remedy the situation."

Hak stopped laughing at once. Yona asked eagerly, "Really? What should I do?"

 _"Not a word, Droopy Eyes,"_ growled Hak.

Jae Ha tossed back his hair easily. "Well, if you're ever looking to take a bath, you could always ask Hak to join- "

 _Whoosh!_ Jae Ha dodged the Thunder Beast's spear effortlessly.

Yoon sighed. "Yona, whatever advice that Jae Ha offers you from now on, don't accept it."

"Huh?" Yona looked like she didn't know what the young genius meant.


	16. Chapter 16

UPDATE: Hey guys! Starting from now I'll be publishing a chapter every 3-4 weeks, maybe sooner if I'm on a roll. Thanks again for reading!

…

Zeno – Tell the person on your left one thing you like about them the most.

Zeno turned to Shin Ah with a warm grin.

"Zeno likes Shin Ah's eyes the most!" he declared. "Zeno thinks they are more beautiful than anything in the whole world! Oh, except Miss, of course! Nothing can compare to Miss's beauty."

"I second that, Zeno," said Jae Ha with grace. "In fact, after Yona and Shin Ah's eyes, I'd say the next most beautiful thing would be yours truly."

"That's a first," remarked Hak. "Is having droopy eyes such a treasure?"

"Oh, Hak Huns! Someone who walks around with his clothes backwards wouldn't understand."

"I may not be a trend-setter, but I know a thing or two about using spears," growled Hak, raising his spear as if to make good on his threat. "Shall I demonstrate, _Jae Bun?"_

"Jae Ha," said Yoon irritably, "I don't care if you're digging your own grave, but if anyone dies with you, I'll make sure to give you a tombstone that reads, 'Eternally Droopy Eyes'."

"Followed by the words, 'Mercilessly Slain by the Almighty Dark Dragon,'" added Hak ominously.

"All right, Thunder Beast. We get it."

Shin Ah – Say "I just want to kiss you right now" to the person on your right.

"Zeno loves Shin Ah too!" exclaimed Zeno, throwing his arms around the Blue Dragon.

"He hasn't said anything, Zeno," Jae Ha told him.

But instead of carrying out his dare, Shin Ah shook his head and started to detach his other glove.

Zeno was heartbroken. _"Shin Ah doesn't like Zeno?"_

"I believe the exact interpretation should be, 'He doesn't want to kiss you,'" corrected Hak.

"But he only has to say the words," protested Kija in confusion.

Shin Ah looked at the White Dragon and shook his head again.

"Lie… " he said quietly. "Lying is bad."

"Oh I see. Saying he wants to kiss Zeno would be a lie," said Kija in realisation.

"Uh… you know, Shin Ah, it doesn't have to be true," said Yoon wearily.

Zeno was teary-eyed. Jae Ha comforted the Yellow Dragon in his own way.

"Now, now, Zeno. I'm sure Shin Ah just doesn't want to come out of the closet."

"Don't group everyone with you, Droopy Eyes," said Hak.

"Zeno, Shin Ah only wants to avoid telling a lie," Yona told the Yellow Dragon comfortingly. "I'm sure he loves you too. Karate chop!"

Shin Ah nodded. Just like that, Zeno's tears vanished.

"Shin Ah is the kindest Dragon among us!" he declared joyfully.

"Well, that wasn't prejudiced at all," said Yoon dryly.

Lilli – "Have you ever lied to a significant other? What was the lie and why did you tell it?"

"All hail King Hiryuu!" said Lilli. "I'm not even attached yet."

"Youll get hitched to a noble sooner or later," said Hak.

"You don't have to project your desire on others, Hak," said Jae Ha. "Getting hitched is a snap for you too. All you have to do is pop the question: "Will you marry me, Princess–?"

"Killing you would be a snap!" snapped Hak.

"Hak wants to marry a princess?" asked Yona in astonishment. "Karate chop!"

Jae Ha smiled at her warmly. "Not just a princess, Yona dear. THE princess – "

Hak scowled. "How about I sew your mouth shut?"

"All hail King Hiryuu! I'm against arranged marriages," said Lilli firmly. "I will never marry someone I don't love."

"I'm afraid it's a ritual all noble brides-to-be have to go through," imparted Soo Won.

"Why not drive your suitors away?" suggested Kija, who happened to be an expert in the department. "You could say something that would make them change their minds."

"Like, 'Sometimes I'm too lazy to wash my armpits!'" said Zeno eagerly.

Kija pulled back in horror. "WHAT? That is the sin of all sins!"

"Zeno, you're not talking about yourself, are you?" Jae Ha asked Zeno apprehensively. "I mean you do wash your underarms, right?"

Lilli's eyes were wide. "All hail King Hiryuu! That would be an excellent idea."

"No, Lilli! Your health is more important!" exclaimed Kija.

"She doesn't have to go through with it," Yoon told the White Dragon with exasperation.

"Maybe the Princess should have said that when a certain someone was trying to court her," said Hak flatly, staring at Tae Jun.

Tae Jun went red. "As if such a comment would have deterred me!"

"I see. You sure have some creepy fetishes, Your Highness."

Tae Jun – Have you ever had a wet dream?

It was obvious by their expressions that Yoon, Hak and Jae Ha were aware of the question's context. The others were completely ignorant, while Soo Won was unreadable.

"What's a wet dream?" asked Yona curiously. "Karate chop!"

"And my greatest nightmare has just come true," groaned Hak.

"Don't you mean your greatest fantasy, Hak?" probed Jae Ha innocently.

As Hak jabbed at the Green Dragon with his spear, Yoon tried to fix the situation.

"Well, Your Highness," he said as normally as he could, although his facce was a little red, "please answer according to what you think a… wet dream… is."

Tae Jun thought for a while.

"Is it what happens when someone empties a bucket of water on you when you're dreaming?" he guessed.

Jae Ha shook his head wisely. "Close, Your Highness, very close. Only instead of water, it should be – "

"Enough," snapped Yoon, boxing Jae Ha on the ear.

"All hail King Hiryuu! Oh, I know!" said Lilli suddenly. "Does it mean to wet the bed?"

Tae Jun became embarrassed at once. "W-Wet the bed?" he protested. "Absolutely not! An honourable man such as me - !"

"There is nothing shameful about wetting the bed, Your Highness," said Jae Ha. "It is what the bed is wet with that's more concerning– "

This time, it was Hak who smashed the Green Dragon's ear.

"Is it one of those dreams that make you cry?" asked Yona. "Karate chop!"

"All hail King Hiryuu! Or drool maybe?" added Lilli.

Hak smiled, though it looked rather forced. "Anything but what Droopy Eyes just said."

"Anything? How can it be anything?" frowned Tae Jun. "Are you hiding something from us?"

 _It's for your own good, idiot!_ thought Hak irritably. _Although technically I'm protecting the Princess's welfare._

"Your Lady… I mean, M'Lady, do you perhaps have some idea what this 'wet dream' is?" Tae Jun directed his question at Soo Won.

"Not a clue," replied Soo Won innocently.

"Why don't you just strip and save us the trouble?" ordered Hak.

Jae Ha gave an overly dramatic gasp. "You monster! Telling a lady to disrobe in front of strangers! How deplorable!"

"I was referring to the Prince, Droopy Eyes," said Hak testily.

"You would have the Princess bear witness to a nude man's form?" exclaimed Kija.

"It's not a problem. We can always blindfold her."

Jae Ha pretended to weep into Kija's shoulder. "Oh, Kija. To think that Hak Huns would resort to such desperate measures just so he can do lewd things to Yona – "

"Your Highness, could you please answer the question before things get out of hand?" sighed Yoon.

"How can I answer it if I don't even know what it means?" protested Tae Jun.

"If you're so ignorant, just strip already," Hak told him. "Take one for the team."

"Take one for the team!" echoed Zeno.

"No!"

Yoon was bending over and peering at Tae Jun's clothes.

"Your Highness," said the young genius flatly. "If I'm not mistaken, you could just remove your belt. It counts as an article of clothing."

Tae Jun blinked a few times. "Oh. Right."

"Too bad, Hak," said Jae Ha, still resting his head on Kija's shoulder lazily, "Your 'play' with Yona has been deferred."

Yoon – Have a water fight with all clothes on.

"Oh no," muttered Yoon.

"What is it?" asked Hak. Tae Jun leaned over to read the slip as well.

"Have a water fight with all clothes on?" read out the Prince puzzledly.

"Don't!" said Yoon in alarm, but it was too late-

"WATER FIGHT!" yelled Zeno, springing up and dashing madly to the stream with a bucket held high over his head.

"How'd you get that so fast?" yelped Yoon.

"Don't be silly Zeno. It would be a lot more productive to use all of them," laughed Jae Ha, and next moment he was tossing the rest of the buckets into the currents.

"What are you doing?" cried Yoon in horror, but Jae Ha was already diving into the water.

"Kija! Why don't you give me hand?" he called out to the White Dragon.

"Water fight!" cried Zeno happily, running over to Tae Jun and dumping the water over the Prince.

"Now that's more like it," grinned Hak, getting to his feet as a furious Tae Jun pursued the Yellow Dragon.

Unfortunately, without a belt to secure it, the Prince's robe was flapping about like a skirt.

"UGH! Tae Jun, you moron! Don't show us your butt!" squealed Lilli, covering her eyes.

"Shin Ah! Remove your mask or I'll make it storm on you!" sang Jae Ah, racing toward the Blue Dragon.

Kija was tottering, his vision blocked by the tower of buckets he was carrying. Making use of the opportunity, Hak snuck up on the White Dragon with his own bucket at the ready.

SHOOM.

Hak had only intended to give Kija a good splash, but he accidentally jammed the bucket over the White Dragon's head.

"Oops," said Hak in surprise. "Guess I should have held back a little."

"ARGH!" Kija dropped the buckets he was carrying and raced after Hak, the bucket still stuck over his head.

"I didn't know Kija could see through solid objects," remarked Lilli, as Hak and the White Dragon shot past them.

"I believe it's called blind anger, Lilli," said Yoon, giving up on the group.

A mortified Tae Jun had stopped to cover up his exposed butt. This gave Zeno free reign over the buckets that Kija had dropped.

"TAKE THAT!" cried Zeno gleefully, throwing the contents on Hak and Kija as they raced by. Now the Yellow Dragon was pursued by a livid Thunder Beast and White Dragon.

Meanwhile, Jae Ha and Shin Ah had taken their chase to the trees.

"Come on, Shin Ah! It's just a mask!" pleaded Jae Ha. _"Oops!"_

Cumbered by the weight of his own bucket, Jae Ha had slipped on a branch and crashed to the ground, the now upside-down bucket on his face.

Shin Ah rushed to the Green Dragon's side. He shook the seemingly unconscious Jae Ha anxiously.

"Green Dragon…?"

Jae Ha sat up so fast the bucket went flying.

 _"_ _Gotcha!"_ His hands went for Shin Ah's mask, but Shin Ah leapt back at the last second. The Blue Dragon was off like a rocket.

"Shin Ah! Come back here!" Jae Ha went back to chasing the Blue Dragon around the trees.

Back at the glade, Yoon, Lilli, Yona and Soo Won were calmly sipping tea prepared by the handsome genius.

"All hail King Hiryuu! Yona, you didn't have the misfortune of glimpsing Tae Jun's butt, did you?" asked Lilli with concern.

"No," said Yona thoughtfully. "M'Lady pointed to an interesting cloud shape at the exact moment it happened. Karate chop!"

"What impeccable timing," said Lilli, staring wryly at Soo Won.

Yoon sighed. "If they're not back by the time I've drunk this tea, I'll impose the penalty on all of them."

Hak – Paint a face on your belly.

The rest of the players returned, now soaking wet. The good news for Kija was that his unibrow had been washed down.

Hak noticed Yona trying not to smile.

"What?" he frowned, picking up his slip.

He stared at it for what seemed like years.

"HAHAHAHAHAHA!" Jae Ha was unable to hold in his laughter.

Hak grimaced. He sat down hard, folding his arms and looking surly.

When Jae Ha's laughter died down, he clapped Hak on the shoulder in what was supposed to be a reassuring manner.

"Look on the bright side, Hak," he grinned. "You now have an excuse for Yona's finger to run up and down your body."

"Shut up before I carve yours open."

"Aw. There's no need to be shy, Hak Huns."

"Jae Ha, stop aggravating the Thunder Beast before I start painting on your eyeballs," ordered Yoon, approaching Hak with a brush and ink bottle. "Thunder Beast, give me some space to work on."

Reluctantly, Hak parted his robe, exposing his rock-solid midriff.

"Hak has many bellies…" observed Zeno with fascination. "I count one, two, three, four, five, six…"

"I believe they're called abs, Zeno," said Yoon, dipping his brush into the ink as he began to work. "It's a kind of abdominal muscle which you, Kija and His Highness over there seem to lack."

Kija and Tae Jun looked like they'd turned to stone. Zeno merely beamed.

"Zeno doesn't need so many bellies! Even a cow has only four stomachs."

"You're talking about totally different things!"

Apparently scared off by Yoon's warning, Jae Ha was now switching tacts.

"Yona dear, how do you feel being offered a plain view of the part of Hak's body that's usually clothed?" he asked the Princess.

Yona stared at Hak, who was watching Jae Ha irately.

"I wish I had muscles like his," said the Princess sincerely. "That way I would have no problem taking down enemies. Karate chop!"

Hak snorted. Jae Ha's smile didn't falter.

"Your tenacity is commendable, Yona dear," said the Green Dragon warmly. "Now, imagine how it would feel to run your fingers down his bod – "

Yoon's brushing went flying into Jae Ha's face.

"Thunder Beast, there was no need for that," scowled Yoon, retrieving his brush. "Jae Ha, what did I say about keeping quiet?"

"You got it." Jae Ha gave a thumbs-up, smiling in spite of the ink that had splattered across his face.

Kija was still looking ponderously at his stomach.

"Do you want abs, Kija?" asked Zeno. "Just eat like Zeno does and you'll be rocking a six-pack before you know it!"

"Speak for yourself" exclaimed Kija indignantly. "Your six-pack is just as visible as mine!"

Yona was offering Jae Ha her handkerchief. "Here, use this to wipe yourself, Jae Ha. Karate chop!"

"Thank you, Yona," beamed Jae Ha, all sunshine and rainbows as he accepted the handkerchief.

"Thunder Beast, your expression alone would be enough to get you arrested," said Yoon warily, as Hak scowled at the Green Dragon.

"As thanks for the handkerchief, Yona dear, might I offer you a suggestion?" said Jae Ha to Yona in an undertone that only both of them could hear. "If you want strong muscles like Hak over there, you should be more familiar with them. Get to know how they feel; the solidity; the heat; the texture. When you do, you'll be halfway to growing the right kind of muscle yourself."

"Really?" Yona was wide-eyed. "Karate chop!"

Jae Ha nodded, beaming. "Go see for yourself, Yona dear."

"Hak, let me touch your abs," said Yona a moment later. "Karate chop!"

Hak was speechless. Kija and Tae Jun appeared stupefied.

"Princess?!"

"Er… Yona, what are you doing?" asked Yoon cautiously, as Yona reached for Hak's stomach.

"I want to feel Hak's muscles," said the Princess bluntly. "Karate chop!"

Hak grabbed her hand before it made contact with his skin. He put his face close to hers.

"Princess, are you sure you want to do this?" he said softly. "Whatever you do to me, I'll do the same right back at you."

Yona stared into his eyes. When she didn't move, Hak's hand crept forward.

"Well?" Hak's dark eyes seemed to be filling her. His fingers pressed against her midriff with the slightest of pressure.

Yona's heart began to beat faster.

"Don't be silly, Hak," she said, quickly pushing him away. She didn't understand why she was feeling embarrassed. "There's no point in feeling my stomach when you know I don't have a single ab... Karate chop."

Hak leaned back. Yona stared. Her childhood friend was laughing.

 _I should have known this was how it would turn out,_ thought Hak, covering his face

"Well..." said Yoon, as Yona went back to her spot. "Let me just stow away my brush and ink..."

"All hail King Hiryuu! Yona, you look a bit pink," said Lilli.

"Oh." Yona felt her face in astonishment. She always felt hotter when she was close to Hak. It had to be the influence of his strong body heat.

"Kija and Tae Jun don't look so good," Zeno commented, waving his hand in front of Kija's and Tae Jun's faces.

"Let them be, Zeno," said Jae Ha breezily. "Unlike you, not having abs is a hard blow for them."


	17. Chapter 17

Jae Ha – Hug yourself and say, "I love myself" 5 times

Jae Ha licked his fingers and ran them through his hair in a suggestive manner.

"Well then, let's get started," he said coyly.

"This tea is good. Remind me to find out where they sold the leaves," said Yoon, flippantly sipping from his cup.

"You're such a callous boy, Yoon!" reproached Jae Ha. "A beautiful man demonstrates his fiery passion and here you are drinking tea?"

"If I'm not wrong, it was from a couple of villages back," said Hak, pointedly ignoring Jae Ha.

"You're all bullies!" sobbed the Green Dragon. "Yona dear, come along; we'll find a secluded spot where I can display my love for my beautiful self away from these unappreciative eyes."

"It's a mighty easy feat for me to turn those into real tears, _Droopy Eyes._ "

Jae Ha laughed lightly. "Don't be jealous, Hak. The key to loving yourself is simple. You just have admit that you're in love with Yo– "

"I believe we're in the middle of a game," said Yoon very loudly and abrasively, before Hak could make a move. "Jae Ha, save your sordidness for other escorts."

"I like Jae Ha's confidence," piped up Yona unexpectedly. "Not many people can say they love themselves. Karate chop!"

"Yeah," said Hak. "Only the egotistical ones."

"This coming from the man who stomps around with his chest exposed?" alluded Kija dryly.

"Zeno is egotistical too!" declared Zeno proudly. "Zeno has utter confidence in himself!"

"You're a horror!" snapped the White Dragon. "Nobody can possibly not wash their underarms and walk around with their head held high! "

"Zeno washes himself thoroughly! Zeno doesn't miss a single spot. Right, Miss?"

"Why are you asking the Princess for confirmation?"

"I'm guessing they took a bath together," said Jae Ha, to stir the White Dragon up.

Kija's jaw dropped at once, his eyes bulging like a frog's as he uttered, "The Pri… the Pri… the Princess…?"

"Jae Ha, maybe you should stop bullying Kija and carry out the dare," hinted Yoon strongly. "Before I encase your face in Zeno's scarf, that is."

The young genius had an uncanny ability to pick out the right threats. Jae Ha straightened up at once and gave a salute.

"Yes, sir! But I believe it would be better off to swaddle it around Hak's body to hide that hideous face, sir!"

"Zeno, fill your scarf with your spit and hand it over," Hak ordered the Yellow Dragon menacingly.

 _OK… I probably shouldn't have mentioned the scarf,_ thought Yoon regretfully.

"Ah. How I love myself," sighed Jae Ha, wrapping his arms around his body affectionately. "I _really_ do."

"And so it begins," muttered Yoon.

"Never thought there'd be anything in the world more grotesque than White Snake's singing," added Hak.

"I love myself… I love myself!… "Jae Ha continued his love-filled chant.

"And it never crossed my mind that there'd be something that could triumph your face in terms of repugnance," retorted Kija, gesturing towards Hak's belly-face.

"You want ugly, take a look in the mirror," snapped Hak.

"All hail King Hiryuu! At least their squabble is drowning out Jae Ha's voice," Lili told Yoon.

Kija – For three rounds, form a mouth with your hand and have it speak whenever you do.

Hak folded his arms, grinning gleefully, as if Kija's dare had spoken for him.

The White Dragon's complexion changed drastically.

"Whoa! Kija looks like the Purple Dragon now," remarked Zeno.

Kija looked like he wanted to say something, but he held himself back with an effort.

"There's nothing to be embarrassed about, Kija. Our hands are given to us to serve plenty of functions," Jae Ha told the White Dragon in what was meant to be soothing tones. "For example, in the bedroom – "

"I believe it's M'Lady's turn now," said Yoon in loud volumes, drowning out the rest of Jae Ha's words.

The Green Dragon laughed silkily. "Can't catch a break, huh?"

Soo Won – Choose a player. Hold out an invisible cake and ask them to slice the cake into thirty equal pieces, but secretly walk off before they are done. Have everyone continue the game as if nothing happened.

Soo Won read the slip silently. Then he looked up.

"Apparently, I am to select a volunteer," he announced to the group at large.

Lili hesitated, but Tae Jun's hand shot up at once.

"Anything for M'Lady!" he declared vehemently.

When Soo Won and Tae Jun walked away from the group, Jae Ha snatched up Soo Won's slip and read it. His laugh almost gave them away, but Yoon had the foresight to smack his mouth closed.

Now that everyone but Tae Jun knew what was up, they watched as Soo Won raised his hands as if demonstrating the length of something. Tae Jun nodded, closed his eyes and began slicing the air between Soo Won's hands.

Quietly, Soo Won slipped back into the group.

"All hail King Hiryuu! Pretty sly, M'Lady," Lili whispered to Soo Won. The King smiled.

"I haven't done something like this since I was a child," he confessed.

At the end of the trick, Tae Jun opened his eyes to find that Soo Won was no longer in front of him. When he looked towards the group and saw them putting on casual airs, he realised what had happened.

"Did you manipulate me to stand there, slicing the air like an idiot?" he demanded, blowing up with indignance.

"All hail King Hiryuu! No one manipulated you into doing anything," said Lili.

"Yeah. You're too much of an idiot to necessitate any form of deception," said Hak airily.

"This is a mockery!" shouting the Prince, stomping back with a flushed face.

"Couldn't have put it better myself."

Yona smiled apologetically. "Sorry, Tae Jun. It's just part of the game. Karate chop!"

Tae Jun's anger disappeared at once.

"If the Princess deigned to apologise, I guess I can overlook this misconduct," he said, dropping down and blushing for an entirely different reason now.

"Talk about prejudice," muttered Hak.

"Miss has the heart of an angel!" declared Zeno proudly.

"You're blowing this a little out of proportion," said Yoon exasperatedly.

Yona – Get someone to pinch you as hard as they can and don't make a sound.

"Yona dear, allow me to do the honours," offered Jae Ha brightly. "I'll be as gentle as I can."

"That's not the point, Jae Ha. Besides, if your hands stray anywhere near her, they'll be chopped off in a flash," reminded Yoon.

"Why, what sort of lewd presumptions are you making, Yoon? There's nothing wrong with a good shoulder massage."

"What a coincidence," said Hak somewhat sinisterly. "Massages happen to be my expertise. Would you like a demonstration, Droopy Eyes?"

Jae Ha gave an over-cheerful laugh. "No thank you. I don't fancy spending the rest of my life bedridden."

"You're being disrespectful, Jae Ha. Hak happens to have excellent hands," chided Yona. "Give him a chance to show you. Karate chop!"

Jae Ha laughed tearfully. "Yona dear, do you always have to sell my soul to the devil?"

"Stay away from the Princess," said Kija unexpectedly, moving his hand along with his mouth. "I will not allow any man to go near her."

Hak snorted. "Is that supposed to intimidate us?"

"Said the man with a face on his belly."

A ferocious spear-and-claws duel began. The nearby shrubbery were taken out in the process, but no one paid them any mind.

"Lili, could you help us pinch Yona?" requested Yoon. "You're the only girl we can ask."

"M'Lady is a female too!" exclaimed Tae Jun fiercely.

Yoon raised his eyebrows. "Uh, yeah. I was going to say M'Lady wouldn't be a good choice since she and Yona are acquaintances."

Yona nodded. "I'm ready. Karate chop!" she said, bracing herself.

"All hail King Hiryuu! Sorry Yona," said Lili, and she pinched the Princess with tremendous strength.

Yona's eyes went wide, but she pursed her lips and made no sound.

"Yona… " said Shin Ah anxiously.

Yona smiled faintly. "It's just a pinch, Shin Ah. Nothing I can't handle. Karate chop!"

"Speaking of what can't be handled, could someone please stop those beasts before they finish each other off," sighed Yoon.

Zeno – Wear your hair in a ponytail at the very top of your head (so it kind of looks like a palm tree)

"Wheeee–! A palm tree!" laughed Zeno happily.

"Yes, yes. Hold still," ordered Yoon, settling down by the Yellow Dragon and beginning to untangle his shock of yellow hair. "This will take some time. Let's keep the game going."

Shin Ah – Go down in a split as far as you can.

Jae Ha applauded as Shin Ah obediently found a space to perform the endeavour. "We're rooting for you, Shin Ah!"

"Go, Shin Ah! You can do it!" chimed in Zeno.

"Hey! I told you not to move, you yellow idiot!"

"Shin Ah, don't break your legs," called Kija, his hand mouthing the words at the same time.

The Blue Dragon managed to execute a perfect split. Jae Ha applauded even harder.

"Bravo! You make us all proud, Blue Dragon!"

"Bravo!" cheered Zeno.

"I said don't move!"

Shin Ah appeared to be a bit embarrassed by the attention. He returned to his place quietly.

"Done," said Yoon a minute later, sweeping his hands. The young genius had managed to gather Zeno's frisky hair into some semblance of a ponytail.

"Wheeee!" cried Zeno, swinging his new ponytail around wildly; it slapped Kija in the face.

"Careful! It'll come undone!" said Yoon in alarm.

"Watch it!" exclaimed Kija and his left hand, when Zeno's hair almost whipped his face again. "This is not how the prestigious Yellow Dragon should behave!"

"This is exactly how he behaves," said Hak.

"Miss! Miss! Do you like Zeno's new hairstyle? Does it make Zeno look good?" asked Zeno excitedly.

"Of course," beamed Yona. "It's perfectly adorable. Karate chop!"

"Yayyy!"

Hak grimaced. "Don't encourage him, Princess."

"Why? I do think it's cute. Karate chop!"

"Hak is just being jealous again," said Jae Ha smoothly. "I'll bet he wishes that he'd grown out his hair. Right, Yona dear?"

Yona stared at Hak, trying to imagine him with long hair. A giggle escaped her lips.

"Long locks get in the way," said Hak, unimpressed.

Lili – Lick the ground.

Lili grabbed her face. _"All hail King Hiryuu! Never!"_

"Unthinkable!" exclaimed Kija and his left hand at the same time. "This is an act of evil!"

"It's not as if she has to swallow," said Hak, annoyed by their melodrama.

Jae Ha shot Hak a look of horror. "Of all the things to say, Hak! You truly are a pervert!"

"What are you talking about?!"

"Everybody calm down!" hollered Yoon. "You're making a mountain out of a molehill."

"Yoon! You of all people should understand the gravity of personal cleanliness!" protested Kija.

"You sound like a member of a cult, Kija," said Jae Ha jauntily.

"You're not making things better," Yoon shot at the Green Dragon.

Yona took Lili's hand and looked her in the eye. "It'll be fine, Lili. Just one quick lick and it's over. Karate chop!"

"I'll have some tea ready if you want to rinse out any of it," added Yoon.

"See? Nothing to worry about," said Hak.

"Zeno will lick the ground with you!" volunteered Zeno, his ponytail quivering in his zeal.

"I'll do it too. Karate chop!" said Yona, making up her mind.

Hak looked at her sharply. "Are you sure, Princess?"

"No! I will not allow this!" cried the horrified White Dragon. "Lili, surely you will not allow the Princess to participate in this odious act?"

"Don't be a baby, Kija. I've licked far dirtier stuff ," said Jae Ha.

"Jae Ha!" reproached Yoon. "You're this _close_ to overstepping the line."

"All hail King Hiryuu! What do you mean by 'far dirtier stuff', Jae Ha?" asked Lili anxiously. "If you tell me about it, I think I'll have the courage to go ahead."

"An excellent idea!" beamed Jae Ha. "Remember when I mentioned the bedroom – ?"

"Princess, allow me to eliminate the real filth in this team," said Hak, standing over the Green Dragon with his spear raised ominously.

"This is getting out of hand," muttered Yoon.

"All hail King Hiryuu! What are you doing, Hak? I want Jae Ha to recount his experience," Lili told Hak indignantly.

"I'm saving the Princess's mind."

"OK, OK! I give!" protested Jae Ha, waving his hands frantically. "It was a joke, Hak. You know I would never taint Yona's mind or heart."

"Sometimes you make me wonder," growled Hak.

"Zeno licked an earthworm once!" said the Yellow Dragon cheerfully. "It tasted like dirt!"

Lili went pale. Then she smiled, though it looked rather forced. "All hail King Hiryuu! Thanks, Zeno. I think I can handle it now."

She bent over, putting her face to the ground. Kija covered his eyes, trembling.

Lili gave the ground the briefest and tiniest of licks, and then promptly spat it back out. She straightened up, face screwed up in disgust.

"All hail King Hiryuu… I am never doing that again."

Kija peeked out from one of the gaps in his fingers. "Is it over?"

"Yup," said Yoon, handing Lili a steaming cup of freshly-brewed tea. "Some ordeal, huh?"

"If there ever was an understatement," shuddered Kija, hugging himself tightly.

"I was being sarcastic."

Zeno suddenly dangled an earthworm in front of Kija. With a deafening yowl, the White Dragon threw himself backwards.

"WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?"

"Zeno found it crawling nearby!" beamed the Yellow Dragon, like a child boasting to his parents. "Zeno thinks it'll like curling around Zeno's ponytail!"

" _Get it away from me!"_

"What a racket," groaned Hak.

Looking sad, Zeno tossed the earthworm away. "And Zeno finally thought he had found a pet… "

There was a loud squeak. Ao had climbed to the top of Zeno's head and was poking at his ponytail happily.

"Oh! That's right! Zeno already has Ao!" The Yellow Dragon lifted the squirrel in his arms and stroked her elatedly. "Zeno apologises for forgetting about you, Ao."

Tae Jun – Put something up your shirt to make you look pregnant and stay like this for three rounds.

"Isn't this wonderful, Your Highness? Your dream of being a mother has come true," said Hak.

"Stop it, Hak. You're being mean," chastised Yona. "Karate chop!"

Tae Jun blinked, not getting the jab. "Since when did I express an interest in becoming a mother?" he frowned.

"We all have our little secrets, Your Highness," assured Jae Ha. "Why, Hak has wanted nothing more than to be a belly-dancer since he was a kid, but now that someone has painted a face on his mid-riff… "

The butt of Hak's spear smashed into the Green Dragon's face.

Yoon was rummaging around in the tent. He emerged with a bundle of clothes he had rolled up into a ball.

"Here –use this," he said, proferring it to Tae Jun.

The Prince accepted it with an expression of distaste. "A man cannot be pregnant," he protested as he stuffed the ball under his robe. "This game makes no sense at all."

"Well, you're not a man in the first place," said Hak. "Neither is M'Lady, for all her flat-chestedness."

Yona was scandalised. "Hak! Karate chop!"

"Believe it or not, Princess, it doesn't qualify as an insult."

"Pay Hak no attention, M'Lady. It's his way of flirting with the ladies," said Jae Ha.

"Hak, please take your flirtation elsewhere," Yona told off her childhood friend. "Don't mind him, M'Lady. Hak has a recent habit of flirting with women. Karate chop!"

Hak scowled as Jae Ha dissolved into laughter. When this game was over, he was going to have a word with the Princess before this tiresome misunderstanding took a permanent hold in her mind.


	18. Chapter 18

Yoon – If your significant other were to gain 100 pounds, would you still love them?

"I would never let her gain a hundred pounds in the first place," argued Yoon. "Her health would be ruined. And where would I get the money for so much food?"

"It's just a theoretical question, Yoon. We know it would never happen in a million years," smiled Yona assuringly. "Karate chop!"

"Unless you're trying to dodge the question?" probed Kija.

"Of course not. Well, maybe if she had a baby… What do you think, M'Lady?"

"I think there's a real expert among us," drawled Hak. "But I'm pretty sure it's not M'Lady."

"My, my," laughed the Green Dragon lightheartedly. "You give me too credit, Hak Huns."

"I didn't even mention you."

"It's called the 'voice of the heart', my little Hak Huns."

"Well, I'm willing to bet all my rin that you've knocked up at least a woman or two."

"Well, I definitely know of one woman you won't be knocking up if you keep your distan – "

Jae Ha's face was crushed into the ground by Hak's boot.

"You were saying?" growled Hak, increasing the pressure on Jae Ha's head.

"Thunder Beast, let him breathe," sighed Yoon.

"What does 'knocking up a woman' mean?" asked Yona cluelessly.

Hak froze, unwittingly allowing Jae Ha to free his head.

"See, Yona dear? Now that you're exposed to the outside world, you're learning new words everyday," he grinned. "Your overprotective bodyguard should cut you loose more often."

"Princess, you should be aware that expletives aren't worth assimilating," warned Hak, with a glare in Jae Ha's direction.

"That phrase was an expletive?" gasped Kija. "Jae Ha, you fiend! How could you soil the Princess's ears?"

Yoon sighed to himself. He couldn't even get the rest of his answer in edgeways.

"What about you, Hak?" said Jae Ha, leaning closer to the Thunder Beast. "What would you do if you were Yoon?"

Hak stared at him through hooded lids for a long time.

"Sorry, what was the question again?" he asked idly.

"Oh come on, Hak. You don't have to be shy," smirked Jae Ha. "Even if Yona were to turn into a man I'll bet your feelings wouldn't change."

"Huh? What does this have to do with me?" asked Yona in surprise. "Karate chop!"

"Speak not of such a thing," said Tae Jun indignantly. "Hak is merely a bodyguard."

Lili nudged him with her elbow. "All hail King Hiryuu! Calm down, sillyhead. This is all rhetorical talk."

"Don't mind him, Lili. He's pregnant," said Hak.

"In any case," said Yoon loudly, "the answer is: yes, I would still love her regardless of her expansive waistline. Next!"

"Way to go, Yoon. You put us infantile adults to shame," applauded Jae Ha enthusiastically.

"To shame!" agreed Zeno cheerfully.

"All hail King Hiryuu! Don't rope us in with you guys," said Lili.

Hak – Are you a virgin?

Jae Ha almost lost it. Fortunately, he had the sense to keep his mouth shut this time.

"I'd be lying if I said I wasn't," said Hak indifferently.

"But what about all those redlight district strolls Miss was talking about?" asked Zeno.

"Strolls?" repeated Hak with a dry laugh. "More like a scouting mission that involved being coerced by a scaly-legged pervert to join a band of pirates and subsequently being left in a room full of ladies and a tiresome misunderstanding to deal with."

"Hak likes to dramatise," said Jae Ha with an airy wave. "I'm sure he simply doesn't want to go into the full details of a redlight district call."

"It would certainly make for uncomfortable conversation," agreed Soo Won.

"And they're double-teaming," muttered Hak.

Jae Ha – Pretend you are partially deaf for the next three rounds.

"Don't you fret, Jae Ha! Zeno will be your eyes and ears for the next three rounds!" offered Zeno brightly.

"All hail King Hiryuu! It doesn't work that way, Zeno," protested Lili. "He's gonna need a hearing aid."

"How deaf do you want to be, Jae Ha?" Kija asked Jae Ha.

The Green Dragon frowned and cupped the side of his ear. "What?"

"I said: How deaf do you want to be?" reiterated Kija.

 _"What?"_

"HOW DEAF DO YOU WANT TO BE?" roared Kija.

"WHAT'S THAT?"

Hak was majorly annoyed now. "Droopy Eyes, would you like me to test the true resilience of your eardrums?"

"SORRY? DIDN'T CATCH THAT, HAK HUNS," bellowed Jae Ha.

Hak began to roll up his sleeves. "White Snake, tackle him on the count of three. One, two – "

"Oh no, you don't," said Yoon, halting Hak by yanking on his arm. "It's Kija's turn now. You can tackle Jae Ha all you want after the game."

"Whew… saved by the genius," said Jae Ha, wiping his forehead.

Kija – Have a conversation with an inanimate object and pretend it talks back.

"How about Hak's belly face?" suggested Soo Won innocently.

Hak turned to him with an ominous expression, but Kija looked appalled.

"It looks real enough without having to pretend it does," he said.

With a squeak, Ao offered her acorn to the White Dragon, who accepted it with thanks.

"You should use your hand to speak to it," advised Yona. "Karate chop!"

"Pretend it's alive!" whispered Zeno eagerly.

"ASK FOR PERMISSION TO EAT IT," shouted Jae Ha helpfully.

"W-Will do," said Kija, gazing doubtfully at the acorn. He made the acorn and his 'talking hand' face each other.

"Hello, Mr Acorn. It's nice to meet you. May I have your permission to partake in your fruit?"

Hak and Jae Ha were in silent fits of laughter.

"Mr Acorn does not want to be eaten!" exclaimed Zeno, pretending to be the acorn.

Turning scarlet, Kija answered, "But acorns are food, and food is meant to be eaten."

"ASK IT OUT, KIJA," suggested Jae Ha. "COMPLIMENT IT ON ITS NUTTY BROWN SHEEN."

"Be silent!" snapped Kija, his face now glowing like a hot iron poker. "I'm doing my best to make conversation!"

"If the White Dragon villagers could see this now," grinned Hak.

"They'd probably put him under confinement and summon all of Kouka's healers to tend to their Sacred One," said Yoon.

"Yoon! How long do I have to talk to this thing?" Kija asked the young genius in annoyance.

"CAREFUL, KIJA. YOU'LL HURT ITS FEELINGS," chastised Jae Ha.

"Like how you're always hurting others'?" said Hak dryly.

"OH, HAK. YOU ALWAYS VIEW OTHERS AS AN EXTENSION OF YOURSELF."

"My spear is plenty good as an extension of my arm."

"That's enough, you undomesticated beasts," said Yoon. "M'Lady, you're up now."

Soo Won – When was the last time you wet yourself? (peed in your pants)

"Goodness me," gasped Yona. "You don't have to answer that, M'Lady. Karate chop!"

"Why not? It's fine," said Hak dismissively. "I'm sure she's 'man enough' to deal with it."

"Plus it's the rules," added Yoon apologetically. "Sorry, M'Lady."

"It's fine," smiled Soo Won. "Though I can't remember a time I ever did."

"Maybe I could walk you through it," said Hak wryly.

"What are you talking about?" asked Yona in surprise. "Isn't this the first time you met M'Lady, Hak?... Karate chop!"

Tae Jun was quick to jump in. "Hak's just teasing her," he said. "You said it yourself, Princess. It's Hak's hobby to tease people."

"If by 'tease' you mean exposing her identity – " began Hak, but Zeno chose that moment to swing his arms and proclaim delightedly, "Zeno hasn't peed in his pants for almost a thousand years! Zeno's bladder is strong as a champ!"

"No one asked you," said Yoon.

"YOU MADE YOUR MARK ON ME, ZENO," commended Jae Ha. "WE'RE PROUD TO CALL YOU OUR BROTHER."

"Why are you shouting?" frowned Kija.

"WHAT WAS THAT?"

"WHY ARE YOU SHOUTING?"

"Kija, you do know he's winding you up, right?" asked Yoon dryly.

"Yona, is something wrong?" asked Shin Ah. The Princess had been staring at her slip in silence for such a long time, the Blue Dragon had grown worried.

Yona – Say "I am the sexiest man/woman alive!" at every turn for 3 rounds.

"I'm fine. Karate chop!" smiled Yona in reply to Shin Ah, but seemed to be steeling herself. She slid the piece of paper back into the pile and took in a deep breath. With cheeks red as apples, the Princess declared almost defiantly, "I am the sexiest woman alive! Karate chop!"

"Wouldn't you know it," grinned Jae Ha, sending her a double thumbs up.

"Yona's the cutest!" beamed Lili, sidling over to the Princess and giving her an affectionate squeeze.

"Aren't you supposed to be deaf?" Yoon questioned the Green Dragon.

"SORRY? DIDN'T CATCH THAT, YOONIE."

"So that's what you're going for, huh..." said Yoon wryly.

Hak was doing a poor job of hiding his amusement.

"Good job, Princess!" he laughed. "Sexiest woman alive… hahaha…"

"I'm not the one who flashes my chest around, you know," pouted Yona. "But I suppose you do it to attract the ladies."

"If it's been distracting you, Princess, I'd gladly cover it up," said Hak.

Yona was taken aback. "D-Distracted? I never said I was!"

"Based on your words, you've somehow attributed my chest to physical appeal," continued Hak with a somewhat roguish smile. "Doesn't this mean you feel some attraction to it?"

Her childhood friend's eyes were staring straight into hers, the smile on his face never wavering. Yona's face grew exceedingly hot. Not knowing what to do, she looked down at her own entwined hands, her heart racing for some reason.

"You've traumatised the Princess," Kija's right hand accused Hak. "How can you have the heart to call yourself her bodyguard?"

"Children should stay out of grownups' affairs," retorted Hak.

"OK, you two. Take your flirting elsewhere," sighed Yoon.

"We're not flirting!" exclaimed Kija indignantly.

"I was talking about… nevermind," muttered Yoon, giving up on the White Dragon's ignorance.

Zeno – Suck your thumb and cry like a baby for one minute.

"I'm the sexiest woman alive! Karate chop!" exclaimed Yona, but her voice was drowned by Zeno's.

"Zeno's too happy to cry!" protested the Yellow Dragon. "What should Zeno do?"

"Off goes the overcoat," said Hak.

Zeno clutched at his clothes in horror. Even Shin Ah was shaking his head as if he was the one being made to strip.

"All hail King Hiryuu! Just imagine that Yona has abandoned you," suggested Lili.

Kija shuddered at the notion. Zeno thought about it for a moment. Then he put his thumb in his mouth.

"Miss would never abandon Zeno!" he sobbed. "Miss is the kindest lady in the world!"

If he had actually been shedding tears, everyone would have been thought he was truly crying. As it was, Jae Ha remarked, "What a remarkable blessing. Who would have thought we would get to witness a two thousand year old who looks like he's seventeen acting like he's only a a year old?"

"All hail King Hiryuu! And with a palm tree ponytail to boot," added Lili.

"I'm still trying to work that out," said Hak.

"It's OK, Hak Huns. What you lack in brainpower is more than made up for in brawn."

"Jae Ha, please save your suicidal urges for a more appropriate occasion," exhaled Yoon.

When the minute was up, Yona embraced Zeno consolingly.

"You know I would never abandon you, right? Zeno Karate chop!" she said, looking warmly into his eyes.

Zeno was all smiles now. "Zeno knows only too well, Miss! Zeno would never have followed Miss otherwise!"

Yona beamed. "That's my Zeno. Karate chop!"

"Oh, stop it, you two," sobbed Jae Ha, blowing his nose into a handkerchief.

"What happened to being deaf?" asked Hak.

"Don't talk to him until it's over," counselled Yoon. "It's for the best."

Shin Ah – Speak like a cow for three turns.

"I'm the sexiest woman alive! Karate chop!" proclaimed Yona.

"Holy cow!" exclaimed Jae Ha, causing Yoon and Lili to wince.

"Speaking of suicidal urges…" groaned Hak.

"Shin Ah doesn't speak much, though," said Yona, with a thoughtful look at Shin Ah. "Karate chop!"

"Zeno wants to hear Shin Ah go _moo!_ " cried Zeno excitedly. "Shin Ah, say _moo!_ "

The Blue Dragon looked at Zeno for a moment.

" _Moo,_ " he said, very softly.

"With more gusto!" exclaimed Zeno. "Like this: _mooooooooo!_ "

Shin Ah hesitated before saying a little louder, " _Moooooooooo._ "

"All hail King Hiryuu! Oh, Zeno, stop teasing him," tittered Lili.

Lili – What's the weirdest thing you've had in your mouth?

"That should have been for me," said Jae Ha in disappointed tones.

"So should my fists," added Hak irritably. "So unless you want them in your mouth, I'd suggest you keep it closed."

"My dear naïve Hak Huns, I've had way dirtier things in my mouth."

"All hail King Hiryuu! Like his boot?" questioned Lili.

Jae Ha's smile grew wider. "If you would like to hear the juicy details… "

"Droopy Eyes, I don't normally mishandle people with disabilities, but yours isn't real. Plus you're a pain in the neck, so I'm going to make an exception."

"No, please! Have mercy!" cried Jae Ha, falling to his knees.

"Thunder Beast, while I agree with you wholeheartedly, for Yona's sake I'm going to have to ask you to stand down," instructed Yoon. "Before you unintentionally kill everyone in your rage, that is."

Tae Jun – Say 'I love you' to the person across you in earnest.

"I'm the sexiest woman alive!" yelled Yona. "Karate chop!"

"Karate chop!" agreed Zeno enthusiastically.

Tae Jun's eyes grew so large he looked manical; the 'person across him' happened to be Soo Won.

"Why does everything have to happen to me?" demanded Tae Jun in humiliation. "First I'm pregnant, and now this? It's unspeakable!"

"Be more grateful, Your Highness. M'Lady is among the fairest of all, you know," smirked Hak.

"You're totally enjoying this," accused Tae Jun.

"Careful, Your Highness. You wouldn't want your water to break."

"My what?"

"Enough, Hak," Yona told him off. "Karate chop!"

"Right. Forgive me, Your Sexiness," drawled Hak.

Yona turned red at once. Kija was horrifically abashed.

"You despicable fiend! How dare you address the Princess as such!"

"My apologies, Princess," said Hak, sounding half-sincere.

"You think you can get away with a mere apology?" said Kija furiously.

"Yona dear, you'll have to forgive Hak. It's been a long while since his last visit to a redlight district," Jae Ha told the Princess.

"You're a disgrace to our entourage!" Kija was still spouting.

"Calm down, Kija," ordered Yoon exasperatedly.

"It's OK, Kija. It's in Hak's nature to tease people," Yona assured the White Dragon. "In any case, a few years down the road and he won't have anything to mock about my figure. Karate chop!"

"On the contrary, Yona dear, Hak finds you plenty sexy – "

"You be quiet," snapped Yoon, smacking Jae Ha's mouth with the back of his hand.

"All hail King Hiryuu! Your Highness, we're still waiting for you," reminded Lili.

Tae Jun had hoped that they'd forget about his dare in the middle of all the disputation.

"It's alright, Tae Jun. You're just expressing your loyal love for a Princess – or a Queen. Whatever M'Lady's rank may be," comforted Yona. "Karate chop!"

Soo Won gave a lighthearted laugh. "You're very kind, Yona."

"Princess… " uttered Tae Jun, touched by the Princess's words. "Thank you."

"Thank you!" echoed Zeno happily.

Tae Jun faced Soo Won with his facial features creased. "Yo – M'Lady, I… I love you."

"You're, er, gonna have to put more emotion into it," said Yoon.

Tae Jun looked so anxious it was painful to watch. He said, in barely controlled tones, "I love you, M'Lady."

"Hooray!" said Zeno, clapping happily.

"Well done!" beamed Yona. "Karate chop!"

Hak put his hands together as well. "Yes. Bravo, Your Highness."

"Ha ha ha… " said Tae Jun, flopping onto the ground in exhausted tears. Accepting a man's proposal, pretending to be pregnant, and then confessing to a man-disguised-as-a-lady, all in order to be with the Princess… it was a secret he was going to take to his grave.


End file.
